Abstract
Recent research has evaluated the utility of teaching potentially covert strategies to mediate overt performance. As an extension of this developing literature, the current study used a multiple-probe design to evaluate the effects of instructing in a visual imagining strategy on correct written spelling responses with three adolescents with various learning disabilities. After the participants were presented with the textual target stimuli, they were instructed to imagine the word in their head before writing it down. All three participants demonstrated improvements in spelling after this instruction, but two of them required additional consequences to meet the mastery criterion.
References
ACT prep words. Retrieved from www.dynamo.dictionary.com
De Souza, A. A., & Rehfeldt, R. A. (2013). Effects of dictation-taking and match-to-sample training on listing and spelling responses in adults with intellectual disabilities. Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 46, 1–13. doi:10.1002/jaba.75.
Horner, R. D., & Baer, D. M. (1978). Multiple-probe technique: a variation of the multiple baseline. Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 11, 189–196. doi:10.1901/jaba. 1978.11-189.
Kisamore, A. N., Carr, J. E., & LeBlanc, L. A. (2011). Training preschool children to use visual imagining as a problem-solving strategy for complex categorization tasks. Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 44, 255–278. doi:10.1901/jaba. 2011.44-255.
Palmer, D. C. (1991). A behavioral interpretation of memory. In L. J. Hayes & P. N. Chase (Eds.), Dialogues on verbal behavior (pp. 261–279). Reno: Context Press.
Rehfeldt, R. A., & Hayes, L. J. (2000). The long-term retention of generalized equivalence classes. The Psychological Record, 50, 405–428.
Sautter, R. A., LeBlanc, L. A., Jay, A. A., Goldsmith, T. R., & Carr, J. E. (2011). The role of problem solving in complex intraverbal repertoires. Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 44, 227–244. doi:10.1901/jaba. 2011.44-227.
Sears, N. C., & Johnson, D. M. (1986). The effects of visual imagery on spelling performance and among elementary students. Journal of Educational Research, 79, 230–233.
Skinner, B. F. (1957). Verbal behavior. New York: Appleton.
Acknowledgments
We thank James E. Carr and four anonymous reviewers for their guidance in shaping this manuscript.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding authors
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Aguirre, A.A., Rehfeldt, R.A. An Evaluation of Instruction in Visual Imagining on the Written Spelling Performance of Adolescents with Learning Disabilities. Analysis Verbal Behav 31, 118–125 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40616-015-0028-0
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s40616-015-0028-0