PODCAST EPISODE

Session 115: Inside JABA Series #1

Instructor: Iser DeLeon, Ph.D., BCBA-D; CE's Available: 1.5

The delivery of reinforcement in intervention programs is often delivered in small increments (e.g., 30 s) on a dense schedule (e.g., FR 1). An alternative to this distributed delivery of reinforcement is to arrange conditions in which reinforcement can accumulate following multiple target responses before then being consumed. This episode’s discussion highlights three studies that compared task engagement among individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities (DeLeon et al., 2014) including those identified with escape-maintained problem behavior (Fulton et al., 2020) and adolescents with attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (Robinson & St. Peter, 2019) under accumulating and distributed reinforcement arrangements. Across each study, engagement was increased and problem behavior reduced during accumulated reinforcement conditions. Further, these studies each included preference assessments in which participants were provided with the opportunity to choose between accumulated and distributed reinforcement arrangements. There was some variability across participants, but many individuals preferred to engage in extended work periods for the opportunity to accumulate reinforcement prior to consumption.

Learning Objectives:

1. Describe the difference between distributed and accumulated reinforcement arrangements.
2. Describe why reinforcement efficacy may be increased through accumulation of reinforcers.
3. Describe why a preference for accumulated reinforcement may be counterintuitive. 

Instructions for this event:

1. Listen to Session 115 of The Behavioral Observations Podcast. Click here for the various places to download and listen to it (note: if the link does not work, cut and paste the following into your browser: https://www.behavioralobservations.com/start-here/)
2. Purchase the CE. This will require creating an account for first time purchases, or logging in for returning customers.
3. Check your email for a link to a quiz.
4. Take the quiz in order to demonstrate attendance. NOTE: prior to taking the quiz, you will be prompted to enter your name and BACB Certificant #. Please enter your name in the way you want it to appear on your CE attendance certificate. This is important because some customers will occasionally enter their user names into this field, and in the event of a CE audit, the BACB will likely refuse to accept documentation with incorrect names.
5. Download the certificate of completion.
6. Save all materials, including emails confirming purchase.
7. Optional: complete C.E. feedback survey, again you may need to cut and paste this URL into your browser: (https://goo.gl/forms/vA1Uyd5hsCcCdzAG2)

Thank you so much for participating in this Type 2 Continuing Education event. If you have any questions about this event or anything else related to the podcast, please feel free to email me at Matt@behavioralobservations.com!