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Using a Progressive Ratio Schedule of Reinforcement as an Assessment Tool to Inform Treatment

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Abstract

A handful of studies have examined the utility of progressive ratio schedules (PRs) of reinforcement in treatment development and treatment efficacy. The current case study explored the utility of PRs as an assessment tool to inform a differential reinforcement treatment package. A PRs assessment was used to identify the breaking point of a functional communicative response before and after treatment. The breaking point was used as the initial reinforcement schedule during treatment. Following treatment, the communicative response increased during a posttest PRs assessment, suggesting the efficacy of the treatment package.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Social Work, Saint Louis University, 3550 Lindell Blvd, St. Louis, MO, 63103, USA

    Alyssa N. Wilson & Olivia H. Gratz

Authors
  1. Alyssa N. Wilson
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  2. Olivia H. Gratz
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Alyssa N. Wilson.

Ethics declarations

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.

Conflict of Interest

The authors declare that they have no competing interests.

Informed Consent

Participant ascent was obtained from the individual included in the study.

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Implications for Practice

• Development of progressive ratio (PR) schedule of reinforcement as an assessment tool to determine breaking point

• Systematic assessment used to inform differential reinforcement schedule

• Highlights the clinical utility of using PR schedule assessments to inform treatment in classroom settings

• Demonstrates effectiveness of using PR schedules to increase treatment efficacy

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Wilson, A.N., Gratz, O.H. Using a Progressive Ratio Schedule of Reinforcement as an Assessment Tool to Inform Treatment. Behav Analysis Practice 9, 257–260 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40617-016-0107-2

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s40617-016-0107-2

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