title: Analysis of response repetition as an error-correction strategy during sight-word reading.
abstract: A great deal is known about the effects of positive reinforcement on response acquisition; by contrast, much less research has been conducted on contingencies applied to errors. We examined the effects of response repetition as an error-correction procedure on the sight-word reading performance of 11 adults with developmental disabilities. Study 1 compared single-response (SR) repetition and multiple-response (MR) repetition, and results showed that all 6 participants acquired more sight words with the MR procedure. Study 2 compared MR error correction following every incorrect response (continuous) and following one third of incorrect responses (intermittent), and results showed that all 6 participants acquired more sight words when error correction was continuous. Study 3 compared MR error correction in which errors required practice of the training word (relevant) versus a different word (irrelevant), and results showed that 3 of 9 participants showed better performance under the relevant condition; however, all participants showed improvement even under the irrelevant condition. Findings are discussed in terms of the behavioral processes by which error correction may enhance performance during acquisition.
authors.affiliation: Rehabilitation Institute, Southern Illinois University, Carbondale 62901, USA. worsdell@siu.edu
authors.forename: April S
authors.initials: AS
authors.lastname: Worsdell
authors.forename: Brian A
authors.initials: BA
authors.lastname: Iwata
authors.forename: Claudia L
authors.initials: CL
authors.lastname: Dozier
authors.forename: Adrienne D
authors.initials: AD
authors.lastname: Johnson
authors.forename: Pamela L
authors.initials: PL
authors.lastname: Neidert
authors.forename: Jessica L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Thomason
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007858:Learning; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011581:Psychological Tests; D011932:Reading; D012054:Reinforcement, Psychology; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012153:Retention, Psychology; D014825:Vocabulary