Mace, F. C., Mauro, B. C., Boyajian, A. E., & Eckert, T. L. (1997).
Effects of reinforcer quality on behavioral momentum: Coordinated applied and basic research.
Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis,
30, 1-20.
The high-probability (high-p) instructional sequence has
been an effective treatment for noncompliance. However, treatment
failures have also been reported. We hypothesized that the
efficacy of the high-p treatment may be improved by using
higher quality reinforcers for compliance to high-p
instructions. The resistance of compliance to change was tested
by varying reinforcer quality in two applied studies and a basic
laboratory experiment. Experiment 1 tested the hypothesis that an
increase in reinforcer quality for high-p compliance will
increase the effectiveness of the high-p treatment when it
fails to increase compliance. Experiment 2 assessed the effects
of reinforcer quality on resistance of compliance to change by
presenting successive low-p requests following the
high-p treatment. A basic laboratory study (Experiment 3)
was conducted to further isolate the relation between reinforcer
quality and behavioral momentum. Two different liquid reinforcers
(sucrose and citric acid solutions) were presented in a
two-component multiple variable-interval variable-interval
schedule followed by a single extinction test session. Results of
all three exp eriments showed a generally consistent relationship
between reinforcer quality and behavioral momentum.
DESCRIPTORS: behavioral momentum, compliance, high-p treatment,
integrated basic-applied research, noncompliance, reinforcer
quality, resistance to change
ERRATUM
Mace, F. C., Mauro, B. C., Boyajian, A. E., & Eckert, T. L. (1997). Effects of reinforcer quality
on behavioral momentum: Coordinated applied and basic research. 30, 1Ð20.
The citric acid data series for Rats MV-46 and MV-47 (Figure 6) were duplicated in error.
Because the raw data are now unavailable, firm conclusions regarding these two animals cannot be
made.
From JABA, 2006, 39 (Winter), 168.