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Establishing Mand Emergence: The Effects of Three Training Procedures and Modified Antecedent Conditions

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Abstract

This study examined the effects of a modified antecedent during probes for emergent mands following listener versus tact training for children with autism. Eight students, aged 7 to 11, were trained to respond to 3 sets of relational responses (front/back, left/right, on/under), each assigned a nonsense label. Three training types were evaluated: listener training, tact training, and listener-tact training combined. Following the experimental training, probes for emergent mands were conducted under modified antecedent conditions. Results showed that modified antecedent conditions were critical in demonstrating mand emergence for some participants.

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Correspondence to Claire E. Egan.

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These experiments were completed as part of the doctoral work submitted by Claire E. Egan to the Department of Psychology at NUI, Maynooth.

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Egan, C.E., Barnes-Holmes, D. Establishing Mand Emergence: The Effects of Three Training Procedures and Modified Antecedent Conditions. Psychol Rec 60, 473–488 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03395722

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