Abstract
Rule-governed behavior (RGB) results from contact with a verbal description of a contingency as opposed to prior contact with that contingency. Despite its importance, research on the establishment of RGB with learners who do not display the skill is limited. Tarbox, Zuckerman, Bishop, Olive, and O’Hora (The Analysis of Verbal Behavior, 27, 125-139, 2011) used multiple-exemplar training (MET) to teach children with autism spectrum disorder to follow rules specifying an antecedent and a behavior. We conducted a systematic replication of the Tarbox et al. study with three boys diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder and extended those methods to rules specifying a behavior and either a preferred or nonpreferred consequence (e.g., “If you clap, then you get candy”). In baseline, participants typically followed a given instruction regardless of whether the consequence was preferred or nonpreferred. Following MET, all participants responded accurately to novel rules, indicating that MET may be an effective method to establish basic RGB repertoires.
References
Greer, D. R., Stolfi, L., & Pistoljevic, N. (2007). Emergence of naming in preschoolers: A comparison of multiple and single exemplar instruction. European Journal of Behavior Analysis, 8, 109–131. doi:10.1080/15021149.2007.11434278.
Hayes, S. C., Barnes-Holmes, D., & Roche, B. (Eds.). (2001). Relational frame theory: A post-Skinnerian account of human language and cognition. New York: Springer Publishing. doi:10.1007/b108413
Kazdin, A. E. (2011). Single-case research designs: Methods for clinical and applied settings. New York: Oxford University Press. doi:10.1080/07317107.2012.654458.
Kanfer, F. H., & Karoly, P. (1972). Self-control: A behavioristic excursion into the lion's den. Behavior Therapy, 3, 398–416. doi:10.1016/S0005-7894(72)80140-0.
Pace, G. M., Ivancic, M. T., Edwards, G. L., Iwata, B. A., & Page, T. J. (1985). Assessment of stimulus preference and reinforcer value with profoundly retarded individuals. Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 18, 249–255. doi:10.1901/jaba.1985.18-249.
Skinner, B. F. (1969). Contingencies of reinforcement: A theoretical analysis. New York: Appleton-Century-Crofts. doi:10.1016/S0005-7894(70)80039-9.
Skinner, B. F. (1974). About behaviorism. New York: Vintage Books.
Stokes, T. F., & Baer, D. M. (1977). An implicit technology of generalization. Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 10, 349–367. doi:10.1901/jaba.1977.10-349.
Sundberg, M. L. (2008). Verbal behavior milestones assessment and placement program: A language and social skills assessment program for children with autism or other developmental disabilities. Concord: AVB Press. doi:10.1002/9781118660584.ese2479.
Tarbox, J., Zuckerman, C. K., Bishop, M. R., Olive, M. L., & O'Hora, D. P. (2011). Rule-governed behavior: Teaching a preliminary repertoire of rule-following to children with autism. The Analysis of Verbal Behavior, 27, 125–139.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Ethics declarations
Conflict of Interest
The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.
Ethical Approval
All procedures performed in studies involving human participants were in accordance with the ethical standards of the institutional research committee and with the 1964 Helsinki declaration and its later amendments or comparable ethical standards.
Informed Consent
Informed consent was obtained for all individual participants included in the study from their parents.
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Wymer, S.C., Tarbox, J., Beavers, G.A. et al. Teaching Children with Autism to Follow Rules Specifying a Behavior and Consequence. Analysis Verbal Behav 32, 265–274 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40616-016-0059-1
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s40616-016-0059-1