Katherine M. Solberg, Gregory P. Hanley, Stacy A. Layer, & Einar T. Ingvarsson. (2007)
The effects of reinforcer pairing and fading on preschoolers&#!46; snack selections.
Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis,
40, 633-644.
The effects of reinforcement pairing and fading on preschoolers’ snack selections
were evaluated in a multiple baseline design. Baseline preferences for snack options
were assessed via repeated paired-item preference assessments. Edible, social,
and activity-based reinforcers were then exclusively paired with a less preferred
snack option. Once the snack paired with reinforcement was selected most
frequently, the three types of reinforcement were systematically faded.
Frequent selections of the previously less preferred snack option were
produced with paired reinforcement, but were disrupted for all children as the
paired reinforcement was reduced to low levels. These data showed that
paired reinforcement was initially effective in increasing preference for
the originally less preferred snack options, but more permanent changes
in the value of the snack options were not achieved. Conditions for producing
persistent changes in children’s snack choices are discussed.
DESCRIPTORS: conditioning, preschoolers, preference, reinforcement pairing and fading