dis 16

MAYER CHAPTERS 16 + 17 STIMULUS EQUIVALENCE AND

PROMPTING

Jenilee Acevedo-Medina, BCBA

Florida International University

EAB4764

SIMPLE DISCRIMINATIONS

SIMPLE DISCRIMINATIONS

IDENTIFYING THE SD

§ Can the person engage in the response?

§ Did the person attend to the relevant stimuli?

§ Is there a prior learning history?

§ Does the behavior produce differing reinforcers?

§ Are there interfering stimuli?

IDENTIFYING AN OBSCURE SD Use a scatterplot

Use a sequence method

Stimulus Over-selectivity

COMPLEX DISCRIMINATIONS

MATCHING TO SAMPLE

CAT

RAT

DOG

When an individual selects between two or more options for which the stimulus may be matching dependent on what else is present in that sample.

4 Term Contingency: Conditional Stimulus

Antecedent Stimulus Response

Consequence

CONCEPT FORMATION

Classes of stimuli that result in the same outcome.

Find a dog!

STIMULUS EQUIVALENCE

Functional equivalence: when changes in the contingencies controlled by one pair of stimuli are sufficient to change the subject’s behavior with respect to another pair.

STIMULUS EQUIVALENCE

Reflexivity: XI = XI; =

Symmetry: XI = YI so YI = XI; = so =

Transitivity: XI = YI and YI = ZI so XI = ZI; =

so = =

TRANSFORMATION OF STIMULUS FUNCTIONS

• Derived relational responding is generalized operant response that occurs after multiple exemplar training.

• Verbal behavior as key component in transformation of functions.

• Relative Terms: more, less, same, etc.

• Relational Frame Theory

• Mutual entailment = XI = YI so YI = XI

• Combinatorial entailment: XI = YI and YI = ZI so XI = ZI

STIMULUS CHANGE

STRONG VS. WEAK STIMULUS CONTROL

A change in the presence of a particular stimulus can occasion the onset or offset of a behavior. Not on/off switch, but probabilistic responding

Antecedent stimuli have stronger control in behavior that is elicited (respondent) rather than evoked (operant) Habituation is the diminishing of an elicited response

Adaptation is the diminishing of an evoked response

STIMULUS CONTROL CHALLENGES

• Competing stimuli/reinforcers

• Variability in responding may still occur (errors, etc.)

• Not all antecedent stimuli an be controlled

• Behavior may not be in the repertoire

• Lack of reinforcement for responding

• History of punishment for responding

PROMPTING

PROMPTS

Stimuli that control a desired behavior BUT are not functionally related to the

task

USING PROMPTS

1. Present the naturally occurring SD

2. Prompt the correct behavior

3. Provide reinforcement whether prompted or not

TYPES OF PROMPTS

v Stimulus Prompts

Ways to remove stimulus prompts: • Stimulus fading

• Stimulus shape transformations

v Response Prompts

Ways to remove response prompts • Most to least

prompting

• Least to most prompting

• Graduated guidance

• Delayed prompting

4 WAYS TO REMOVE RESPONSE

PROMPTS.

Most-to-Least Prompting (AKA Maximum to Minimum)

Least-to-Most Prompting (AKA Minimum to Maximum)

Graduated Guidance

Delayed prompting (AKA Time-delayed prompting, delayed cuing, progressive delay)

TWO WAYS TO REMOVE STIMULUS PROMPTS

• Fading (AKA Stimulus Fading PURPLE à PURPLE à PURPLE

• Shape: Stimulus Shape Transformations (AKA Stimulus Shaping)