Through repeated practice under conditions similar to those in real-world settings, simulator training prepares an individual to maintain effective performance under stressful work conditions. Interfaces offering high fidelity and immersion can more closely reproduce real-world experiences and are generally believed to result in better learning…

This study showed that there is a positive value attributed to therapist disclosure, reducing interpersonal distance and risk, and providing a model for productive behavior. The subjects were found to talk longer and achieve higher levels of self exploration in the modeling conditions. (EK)

The study reports the effects of a reinforcement program on social behaviors of three preschool children who displayed inappropriate behaviors during peer interactions. The program was effective in increasing cooperative play by at least 50 percent over baseline, and the behavior changes were maintained when tokens were withdrawn. (Author/CL)

A severely retarded psychotic male who found restraint reinforcing was treated by a two-phase program including reinforcement with restraint for increasingly longer periods of noninjury and timeout from restraint and gradual fading of self-restraining (holding objects in his hands). Significant reductions in self-injurious behavior have continued…

The notion of differentially reinforcing low rates of undesirable behavior (DRL) is examined. Further, the status of the full session DRL strategy as an "alternative to punishment" is questioned in the context of a strictly operant definition of punishment. (Author/SW)

Assessed clinical applicability of behavioral treatment previously reported by Lando. Feasibility of reorienting nonabstinent smokers to maintained reduction was also assessed. Of subjects, 12 who completed treatment were abstinent at follow-up and 2 others were smoking substantially less than at baseline. Results suggest previous findings are…

The development of B. F. Skinner's theories of behavior and their application in industry are reviewed. Criticisms of Skinner are refuted. (SK)

In Study 1, we examined the independent effects of reinforcer consumption during sessions and meal consumption prior to sessions on performance maintained by food reinforcement. Nine individuals with developmental disabilities participated. On alternate days, a preferred edible item was delivered during (a) seven sessions conducted before lunch…

We evaluated the effects of multiple treatment procedures, including simultaneous presentation of preferred foods, on the packing behavior of a 9-year-old girl with autism. A reversal design was used to assess the effects of differential reinforcement with response cost alone and with simultaneous presentation. In addition, simultaneous…

A number of textbooks and professional volumes in applied behavior analysis suggest that interventions designed primarily to decrease a problem behavior should routinely be accompanied by efforts to increase the frequency of at least one appropriate behavior. Some sources describe the objective of this tactic as "replacing" the problem behavior.…

Two experiments examined how pigeons differentiate response patterns along the dimension of number. In Experiment 1, 5 pigeons received food after pecking the left key at least N times and then switching to the right key (Mechner's Fixed Consecutive Number schedule). Parameter N varied across conditions from 4 to 32. Results showed that run length…

This study evaluated the effects of using differential reinforcement of other behavior (DRO) with a differential reinforcement of alternative behavior (DRA) resetting time schedule to reduce stereotypy in a child with Rett Syndrome. The primary purpose of the investigation was to compare latency and choice as dependent measures to identify…

This study investigated the effectiveness of implementing Differential Reinforcement of Other behavior (DRO) at the classwide level to decrease the disruptive behavior of seven typically developing preschool-aged children in a child care setting. After baseline data were collected, a whole interval DRO reinforcement schedule using edible rewards…

Contingency management (CM) for drug abstinence has been applied to individuals independently even when delivered in groups. We developed a group CM intervention in which the behavior of a single, randomly selected, anonymous individual determined reinforcement delivery for the entire group. We also compared contingencies placed only on cocaine…

A single case alternating treatment design was used to investigate interactions between reinforcement scheduling and the information that accompanies a shift from a high to lower density of reinforcement with a 12 year old emotionally disturbed boy. Results showed that the informational variables exerted functional control over behavior, with the…