Examines Weir's hypothesis of a U-shaped relationship between age and terminal level of correct responding; studies use of alternation patterning as a response strategy; investigates extent to which immediate reinforcement controlled the subjects' choices. The results reported here are based on part of a doctoral dissertation submitted by the…

Article describes a study in stimulus-sampling that now makes it possible for the theory to account for the increased resistance to extinction following partial reinforcement. (Author/ML)

The purpose of this study was to measure nonverbally the preference of alternative responses when the net probability of being rewarded was the same. A demonstration of preference under these circumstances would suggest the ability to control or maintain behavior without explicit administration of a reinforcing agent. Head Start children were used…

Fifteen moderately or severely retarded adults listened to music and looked at slides in baseline schedules, reinforcement schedules, and control phases with no contingent relation between responses. Individual analysis of instrumental responding indicated increases in schedules that produced response deprivation, but only once in schedules that…

Five children with autism were taught to match printed words to corresponding pictures. Participants' speed of learning was compared across three training conditions, each involving a 5-s delay of reinforcement, using a within-participants alternating treatments design. In the cue-value condition, a verbal phrase of approval (e.g., "good!") was…

The media center could and should be an impressive resource tool in providing information and surrogate experiences for use by the student in forming his tastes, attitudes and values. (Author/NH)

ONE OF THE PROBLEMS OF TELEVISION TEACHING IS IN THE AREA OF STUDENT INSTRUCTOR INTERACTION. THE INSTRUCTOR HAS NO WAY OF KNOWING WHETHER OR NOT ANY LEARNING IS TAKING PLACE OR IF THE STUDENTS ARE LISTENING. A FEEDBACK SYSTEM HAS BEEN DEVELOPED TO ENABLE A STUDENT TO INDICATE HIS RESPONSE TO A TV LECTURER'S QUESTION BY PUSHING ONE OF FIVE BUTTONS…

Rabbits were given reinforced training of the nictitating membrane (NM) response using separate conditioned stimuli (CSs), which were a tone, light, and/or tactile vibration. Then, two CSs were compounded and given further pairings with the unconditioned stimulus (US). Evidence of both overexpectation and summation effects appeared. That is,…

Stimulus preference assessments for individuals with developmental disabilities typically involve offering choices among stimuli and providing immediate access to the chosen stimuli. Several researchers have explored the utility of presenting choices verbally, thereby obviating the need to present the choices in tangible form and deliver access to…

Reinforcers lose their effectiveness when they are presented repeatedly. Early researchers labeled this loss of effectiveness as "satiation" without conducting an experimental analysis. When such an analysis is conducted, "habituation" provides a more precise and empirically accurate label for the changes in reinforcer effectiveness. This paper…

We examined some conditions under which a response acquired as a tact might facilitate the establishment of a mand. We taught 3 participants with developmental disabilities to tact the items ranked highest and lowest in a preference assessment and subsequently tested to see if the responses occurred as mands. All participants manded for the highly…