Stephen T. North & Brian A. Iwata (2005).
Motivational influences on performance maintained by food reinforcement.
Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis,
38, 317-333.
In Study 1, we examined the independent effects of reinforcer
consumption during sessions and meal consumption prior to sessions
on performance maintained by food reinforcement. Nine
individuals with developmental disabilities participated. On alternate
days, a preferred edible item was delivered during (a) seven sessions
conducted before lunch (repeated-reinforcement condition) versus (b) one
session each conducted before and after lunch (pre- and postmeal
conditions). Results for 7 of 9 participants showed decreased
response rates across sessions in the repeated-reinforcement condition;
results for 3 of 9 participants showed decreased rates during postmeal
relative to premeal conditions. Two participants who did not show a
decrement in responding during either comparison participated in
Study 2, in which reinforcer consumption during sessions, combined
with meal consumption prior to sessions, also had no effect on their
performance. In Study 3, we determined whether (a) choice of
reinforcers, (b) increased break time between sessions, (c) varied
reinforcers, or (d) intermittent reinforcement schedules mitigated the
satiation effects observed for the 7 participants in Study 1. Presession
choice of reinforcers resulted in maintained performance for 2 of 6
participants exposed to this condition. Varied reinforcement resulted in
maintained performance for only 1 of 5 participants exposed to this
condition. Neither the increased break between sessions nor the
intermittent reinforcement schedule was effective in maintaining
performance for the participants who were exposed to these conditions.
DESCRIPTORS: motivating operations, establishing operations, abolishing operations, meal effects, satiation, stimulus variation, choice, intermittent reinforcement