The effects of high-preference problems on the completion of nonpreferred mathematics problems.

J Appl Behav Anal. 2012;45(1):223-8

Authors: Lee DL, Lylo B, Vostal B, Hua Y

Abstract
Failure to initiate and remain engaged in academic tasks can have long-lasting effects for students. In this study, we investigated the effects of high-preference sequences on both digits correct per minute and latency to initiate nonpreferred mathematics problems for 3 students with emotional and behavioral disorders. We found that high-preference sequences had negligible positive effects on rate of problem completion but had larger effects on problem initiation. This study replicates and extends prior work on the effects of high-preference sequences on mathematics problem initiation and completion.

PMID: 22403472 [PubMed - in process]

Guest reviewers.

J Appl Behav Anal. 2012;45(1):222

Authors:

PMID: 22403471 [PubMed - in process]

An experimental analysis of the effectiveness and sustainability of a chinese tutoring package.

J Appl Behav Anal. 2012;45(1):217-21

Authors: Wu H, Miller LK

Abstract
This experiment evaluated the effects of training tutors to use an instructional package to teach pronunciation and translation of the Chinese language. Tutors' correct use of the package increased from 68% of trials to 92% after training, and student correct pronunciation increased from 45% to 90%, with similar effects for translation. Continued use of the package, high social validity, and extended follow-up suggest that use of the package may be sustainable.

PMID: 22403470 [PubMed - in process]

Guest associate editors.

J Appl Behav Anal. 2012;45(1):216

Authors:

PMID: 22403469 [PubMed - in process]

The effects of exergaming on physical activity in a third-grade physical education class.

J Appl Behav Anal. 2012;45(1):211-5

Authors: Shayne RK, Fogel VA, Miltenberger RG, Koehler S

Abstract
We compared the effects of exergaming and traditional physical education on physical activity among 4 active children who were not overweight and who had experience with the exergaming activities prior to the study. Results showed that exergaming produced substantially higher percentages of physical activity and opportunity to engage in physical activity. In addition, an evaluation of the exergaming equipment showed that exergaming stations were associated with differential levels of physical activity across participants.

PMID: 22403468 [PubMed - in process]

Effects of text messaged self-monitoring on class attendance and punctuality of at-risk college student athletes.

J Appl Behav Anal. 2012;45(1):205-10

Authors: Bicard DF, Lott V, Mills J, Bicard S, Baylot-Casey L

Abstract
This study examined the effects of text messaging class arrival to an academic counselor on the attendance and punctuality of 4 college student athletes. Each participant had a history of class tardiness and was considered to be at risk for academic failure. Class attendance and punctuality improved for all participants.

PMID: 22403467 [PubMed - in process]

Effects of behavioral skills training on parental treatment of children's food selectivity.

J Appl Behav Anal. 2012;45(1):197-203

Authors: Seiverling L, Williams K, Sturmey P, Hart S

Abstract
We used behavioral skills training to teach parents of 3 children with autism spectrum disorder and food selectivity to conduct a home-based treatment package that consisted of taste exposure, escape extinction, and fading. Parent performance following training improved during both taste sessions and probe meals and was reflected in increases in children's acceptance of bites and decreases in their disruptive behavior. Parents also reported that increases in diet variety were maintained at follow-up.

PMID: 22403466 [PubMed - in process]

Teaching children with autism to seek help when lost in public.

J Appl Behav Anal. 2012;45(1):191-5

Authors: Bergstrom R, Najdowski AC, Tarbox J

Abstract
Children with autism may not develop safety skills (e.g., help-seeking behaviors) without explicit teaching. One potentially hazardous situation is when a child with autism becomes separated from caregivers in a retail establishment or other public setting. The purpose of this study was to evaluate a treatment package (rules, role playing, and praise) delivered in the natural environment for teaching 3 boys with autism to seek assistance from store employees when they became lost. Treatment was effective, and help-seeking behaviors generalized to untrained stores for all participants.

PMID: 22403465 [PubMed - in process]

Effects of three types of noncontingent auditory stimulation on vocal stereotypy in children with autism.

J Appl Behav Anal. 2012;45(1):185-90

Authors: Saylor S, Sidener TM, Reeve SA, Fetherston A, Progar PR

Abstract
We evaluated the effects of 3 types of noncontingent auditory stimulation (music, white noise, recordings of vocal stereotypy) on 2 children with autism who engaged in high rates of vocal stereotypy. For both participants, the music condition was the most effective in decreasing vocal stereotypy to near-zero levels, resulted in the highest parent social validity ratings, and was selected as most preferred in treatment preference evaluations.

PMID: 22403464 [PubMed - in process]

Reducing covert self-injurious behavior maintained by automatic reinforcement through a variable momentary dro procedure.

J Appl Behav Anal. 2012;45(1):179-84

Authors: Toussaint KA, Tiger JH

Abstract
Covert self-injurious behavior (i.e., behavior that occurs in the absence of other people) can be difficult to treat. Traditional treatments typically have involved sophisticated methods of observation and often have employed positive punishment procedures. The current study evaluated the effectiveness of a variable momentary differential reinforcement contingency in the treatment of covert self-injury. Neither positive punishment nor extinction was required to produce decreased skin picking.

PMID: 22403463 [PubMed - in process]

Examining the utility of the stimulus pairing observation procedure with preschool children learning a second language.

J Appl Behav Anal. 2012;45(1):173-7

Authors: Rosales R, Rehfeldt RA, Huffman N

Abstract
We evaluated the effectiveness of a stimulus pairing observation procedure to facilitate tact and listener relations in preschool children learning a second language. This procedure resulted in the establishment of most listener relations as well as some tact relations. Multiple-exemplar training resulted in the establishment of most of the remaining relations. The implications for the use of these procedures to establish simple vocabulary skills in children are discussed.

PMID: 22403462 [PubMed - in process]

Teaching coin discrimination to children with visual impairments.

J Appl Behav Anal. 2012;45(1):167-72

Authors: Hanney NM, Tiger JH

Abstract
We taught 2 children with visual impairments to select a coin from an array using tactile cues after hearing its name and then to select a coin after hearing its value. Following the acquisition of these listener (receptive language) skills, we then observed the emergence of speaker (expressive language) skills without direct instruction.

PMID: 22403461 [PubMed - in process]

Voucher-based reinforcement for alcohol abstinence using the ethyl-glucuronide alcohol biomarker.

J Appl Behav Anal. 2012;45(1):161-5

Authors: McDonell MG, Howell DN, McPherson S, Cameron JM, Srebnik D, Roll JM, Ries RK

Abstract
This study assessed the effects of a contingency management (CM) intervention for alcohol consumption in 10 alcohol-dependent participants. An ABCA design was used. Vouchers were provided contingent on results of ethyl glucuronide (EtG) urine tests (an alcohol biomarker with a 2-day detection period) and alcohol breath tests during the C phase. The percentage of negative urines was 35% during the first baseline phase, 69% during the C phase, and 20% during the return-to-baseline phase. Results suggest that EtG urine tests may be a feasible method to deliver CM to promote alcohol abstinence.

PMID: 22403460 [PubMed - in process]

A comparison of intraverbal training procedures for children with autism.

J Appl Behav Anal. 2012;45(1):155-60

Authors: Kodak T, Fuchtman R, Paden A

Abstract
We compared the effectiveness of three training procedures, echoic and tact prompting plus error correction and a cues-pause-point (CPP) procedure, for increasing intraverbals in 2 children with autism. We also measured echoic behavior that may have interfered with appropriate question answering. Results indicated that echoic prompting with error correction was most effective and the CPP procedure was least effective for increasing intraverbals and decreasing echoic behavior.

PMID: 22403459 [PubMed - in process]

Using high-probability foods to increase the acceptance of low-probability foods.

J Appl Behav Anal. 2012;45(1):149-53

Authors: Meier AE, Fryling MJ, Wallace MD

Abstract
Studies have evaluated a range of interventions to treat food selectivity in children with autism and related developmental disabilities. The high-probability instructional sequence is one intervention with variable results in this area. We evaluated the effectiveness of a high-probability sequence using 3 presentations of a preferred food on increasing acceptance in a child with autism who refused a few specific foods. The high-probability sequence increased acceptance of 3 foods. We then systematically faded the intervention for 2 foods.

PMID: 22403458 [PubMed - in process]

Disruptive effects of contingent food on high-probability behavior.

J Appl Behav Anal. 2012;45(1):143-8

Authors: Frank-Crawford MA, Borrero JC, Nguyen L, Leon-Enriquez Y, Carreau-Webster AB, Deleon IG

Abstract
The delivery of food contingent on 10 s of consecutive toy engagement resulted in a decrease in engagement and a corresponding increase in other responses that had been previously reinforced with food. Similar effects were not observed when tokens exchangeable for the same food were delivered, suggesting that engagement was disrupted by the contingent provision of the food, which may have functioned as a discriminative stimulus that occasioned competing responses.

PMID: 22403457 [PubMed - in process]

An evaluation of progressively increasing intertrial intervals on the acquisition and generalization of three social skills.

J Appl Behav Anal. 2012;45(1):137-42

Authors: Francisco MT, Hanley GP

Abstract
We evaluated the effects of different intertrial intervals (ITIs; time between programmed learning opportunities) on the acquisition and generalization of 2 preschoolers' social skills. Independent and generalized skills were observed only when the daily ITI was gradually increased from short to progressively longer intervals.

PMID: 22403456 [PubMed - in process]

An evaluation of strengthening precursors to increase preschooler compliance.

J Appl Behav Anal. 2012;45(1):131-6

Authors: Kraus AJ, Hanley GP, Cesana LL, Eisenberg D, Jarvie AC

Abstract
We evaluated the strategy of increasing precursors to compliance on the compliance of 2 preschool boys. Modeling and differential reinforcement were used to increase specific responses to his name being called prior to the opportunity to comply with an instruction. The precursors were stopping the ongoing activity and orienting to, making eye contact with, and saying "yes" to the instructor. High levels of precursors occurred during treatment, and increases in compliance also were observed, even though the consequences for compliance and noncompliance did not change.

PMID: 22403455 [PubMed - in process]

An analysis of modifications to the three-step guided compliance procedure necessary to achieve compliance among preschool children.

J Appl Behav Anal. 2012;45(1):121-30

Authors: Wilder DA, Myers K, Fischetti A, Leon Y, Nicholson K, Allison J

Abstract
After a 3-step guided compliance procedure (vocal prompt, vocal plus model prompt, vocal prompt plus physical guidance) did not increase compliance, we evaluated 2 modifications with 4 preschool children who exhibited noncompliance. The first modification consisted of omission of the model prompt, and the second modification consisted of omitting the model prompt and decreasing the interprompt interval from 10 s to 5 s. Each of the modifications effectively increased compliance for 1 participant. For the remaining 2 participants, neither modification was effective; differential reinforcement in the form of contingent access to a preferred edible item was necessary to increase compliance. Problem behavior varied across participants, but was generally higher during guided compliance conditions and lower during differential reinforcement conditions.

PMID: 22403454 [PubMed - in process]

The effects of verbal operant training and response interruption and redirection on appropriate and inappropriate vocalizations.

J Appl Behav Anal. 2012;45(1):107-20

Authors: Colón CL, Ahearn WH, Clark KM, Masalsky J

Abstract
Past research has shown that response interruption and redirection (RIRD) can effectively decrease automatically reinforced motor behavior (Hagopian & Adelinis, 2001). Ahearn, Clark, MacDonald, and Chung (2007) found that a procedural adaptation of RIRD reduced vocal stereotypy and increased appropriate vocalizations for some children, although appropriate vocalizations were not targeted directly. The purpose of the current study was to examine the effects of directly targeting appropriate language (i.e., verbal operant training) on vocal stereotypy and appropriate speech in 3 children with an autism spectrum disorder. The effects of verbal operant (i.e., tact) training were evaluated in a nonconcurrent multiple baseline design across participants. In addition, RIRD was implemented with 2 of the 3 participants to further decrease levels of vocal stereotypy. Verbal operant training alone produced slightly lower levels of stereotypy and increased appropriate vocalizations for all 3 participants; however, RIRD was required to produce acceptably low levels of stereotypy for 2 of the 3 participants.

PMID: 22403453 [PubMed - in process]