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The Use of Contingency-Based Procedures to Promote Tolerance of Schedule Thinning for Hypothesized Multiply Maintained Problem Behavior

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Abstract

Contingency-based procedures have been found to be effective in facilitating delays to reinforcement for escape-maintained behavior within research and clinical contexts. Few studies have evaluated the use of these procedures for multiply maintained problem behavior. A contingency-based procedure was conducted with two participants to evaluate the effectiveness this procedure had on increasing tolerance to schedule thinning for problem behavior that was hypothesized to be multiply controlled. Results suggested that the procedure was effective at facilitating tolerance for a delay for both participants after switching to a lower effort task.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Communication Sciences and Special Education, University of Georgia, Aderhold Hall, 110 Carlton Street, Athens, GA, 30602, USA

    Karla A. Zabala

  2. Department of Health Professions, Rollins College, Winter Park, FL, USA

    Kara L. Wunderlich

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  1. Karla A. Zabala
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  2. Kara L. Wunderlich
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Correspondence to Karla A. Zabala.

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Karla A. Zabala declares that she has no conflict of interest. Kara L. Wunderlich declares that she has no conflict of interest.

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All procedures performed in the study involving human participants were in accordance with the ethical standards of the University of Georgia and with the 1964 Helsinki declaration and its later amendments or comparable ethical standards.

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Informed consent was obtained from all individual participants included in the study.

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Research Highlights

• Contingency-based procedures were conducted with individuals with hypothesized multiply maintained problem behavior.

• Procedures were implemented in clinical and school settings.

• Higher effort tasks were ineffective at reducing problem behavior among participants.

• Low-effort tasks were effective at reducing problem behavior, suggesting that researchers should begin their interventions with low and simple task requirements.

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Zabala, K.A., Wunderlich, K.L. The Use of Contingency-Based Procedures to Promote Tolerance of Schedule Thinning for Hypothesized Multiply Maintained Problem Behavior. Behav Analysis Practice 15, 312–317 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40617-021-00646-9

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s40617-021-00646-9

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