Dean L. Fixsen

An Analysis of a Selection Interview Training Package for Predeunquents At Achievement Place

chievement Place is a small, family-style behavior modification program for adolescents with behavior problems. The boys placed in Achievement Place by the Juvenile Court have typically had many problems in school. Although their academic performance usually improves as a result of the program, it seems unlikely that many of the boys will be furthering their formal educations once they have completed high school. This fact makes it probable that most of them will at least initially be competing in the unskilled job market to

Reinstatement of an Operant Response by the Delivery of Reinforcement during Extinction.

Abstract Twelve severely retarded children were conditioned to respond at stable rates for 4 consecutive days on a fixed-ratio schedule. They were then given a single extinction session. The extinction session lasted until they had met a 2-minute pause criterion 15 times. On five of the occasions after the Ss met the pause criterion, they were delivered reinforcement; on five other occasions a buzzer sounded; and on another five occasions no change in the environment occurred (control). The Ss made more responses after reinforcement than after the buzzer or after the control.

Work environment in relation to employee job satisfaction in group homes for youths

Group home programs for youths were investigated in order to: (a) measure employment longevity in four occupational groups employed in group home treatment settings, (b) report current working conditions and job satisfaction levels, and (c) compare relationships between the group home work environment and employee job satisfaction. Subjects included 57 current and 51 former administrative/treatment employees from 26 participating group homes in Kansas. Several differences were found among four different occupational groups in employee longevity, work environment and satisfaction levels. Length of employment was longest for teaching-parents, followed respectively by houseparents, directors, and other employees. Eight significant work environment differences and five job satisfaction differences were reported among the four groups. Fourteen significant correlations were reported between work environment variables and job satisfaction ratings. A regression analysis reported significant predictors of two “overall” job satisfaction ratings. The research suggested that (1) group home employees have short tenures, (2) the different occupational groups have differing job satisfaction levels, (3) better working conditions are related to higher job satisfaction ratings, and (4) employee contact with the youths is related inversely to improvements in job satisfaction.

Free Operant Response Reinstatement during Extinction and Time-Contingent (DRO) Rewards

3 experiments are reported on the reinstatement of a bar-press response by rats during free operant extinction. After extended training on a VR schedule of food reward, an extinction procedure in which reward was negatively correlated with the bar-press response was initiated, i.e., reward was presented after 4 min of no bar presses. Results indicated that pause-contingent reward served to increase the rate of responding beyond what could be explained by the eliciting properties of reward-correlated stimuli or the “novelty” of stimulus change.

Response variability in retarded children.

Abstract Eight retarded girls responded on an eight-key manipulandum under a series of reinforcement schedules: continuous (CRF 1), variable interval (VI 1′), extinction (EXT), noncontingent (NC), and a second exposure to continuous reinforcement (CRF 2). The distribution of responses among the eight keys was taken as the measure of response variability, or alternatively, response preference. During CRF 1, four S s exhibited preferences for certain keys, while four S s exhibited essentially no preferences. It was found that the VI, EXT, and NC schedules affected preferences in six of the eight S s. The general effect of these schedules was an increased preference (decreased variability). For the preference S s, the increased preferences were usually for previously preferred keys. During CRF 2, four S s showed a return to their original CRF 1 patterns, while two S s continued to maintain heightened key preferences. Two S s failed to show preference changes at any time in the study. The results were discussed in terms of the differentiation of alternate response forms. A possible relation between response patterning and variability was suggested.

Intertrial Procedures and Resistance to Extinction

The effects of intertrial-placement and -running to reward or nonreward on resistance to extinction were investigated within a 2 × 2 × 2 factorial design in which first trial reward condition (R or N), intertrial treatment (run or place), and intertrial reward condition (R or N) were the three factors. The 48 albino rats were given two acquisition trials daily for 8 days with the intertrial treatments separating the two daily trials. The second daily trial was always rewarded. In extinction, 3 trials were given each day for 12 days. The extinction results indicated that placement to reward or nonreward, and not the shortened ITI resulting from the placement procedure, was the critical factor in the reduction or enhancement of resistance to extinction that was produced by direct goalbox placements. The data also suggested that rewarded placements were more effective in reducing resistance to extinction than nonrewarded placements were in enhancing resistance to extinction. The results were interpreted within Capaldis modified aftereffects theory.

N-Length and Intertrial Reward

2 experiments investigating the effects of intertrial reward on resistance to extinction following partial reward schedules containing N-lengths (number of consecutive nonrewards preceding a rewarded trial) of 1, 2, or 3. It was found that intertrial rewards completely eliminated the partial reinforcement effect for all N-lengths when run times were considered but had no effect on goal times. These data were discussed in terms of their relevance to the modified aftereffects hypothesis and previous investigations of intertrial reward.

The reinstatement effect: Amount of noncontingent reward in the runway

The effects of a noncontingent feeding procedure following extinction of a runway response were investigated with 24 rats as Ss. Following acquisition and extinction training, four groups were formed and individually placed into the goal box and fed 0, 5, 10, or 20 food pellets on each of 4 days. The effects of this procedure were tested by again running the Ss to an empty goal box. Running speeds were reinstated for each of the fed groups and the speed of running varied with reward magnitude. These data were discussed in terms of incentive theory and Capaldi’s aftereffects hypothesis.

Contingent and Noncontingent Schedules of Continuous and Partial Reward in Rats

The effects of contingent reward (R) and nonreward (N) and noncontingent reward (r) and nonreward (n) on extinction performance were investigated. Both R and N were delivered contingently on a runway running response while r and n were delivered by placing Ss directly into the goal box. In acquisition, the 32 albino rats were given 5 contingent trials and 4 noncontingent placements each day for 2 days. Group CC received the daily sequence RrRrRrRrR; Group CP, RnRrRnRrR; Group PC, RxNrRrNrR; and Group PP, RnNrRnNrR. 15 extinction trials were given with 5 trials per day. An analysis of variance applied to the mean log total times in extinction showed that Group CP was significantly more resistant to extinction than Group CC and that Group PP was more resistant to extinction than Group PC. Neither the difference between Groups CC and PC nor the difference between Group CP and PP approached significance. The results were discussed in terms of their relevance to the modified aftereffects hypothesis and dissonance theory.