title: Manipulating the behavior-altering effect of the motivating operation: examination of the influence on challenging behavior during leisure activities.
abstract: We examined the behavior-altering effect of the motivating operation on challenging behavior during leisure activities for three individuals with severe disabilities. Prior functional analyses indicated that challenging behavior was maintained by positive reinforcement in the form of attention or tangible items for all participants. During leisure sessions, each participant played preferred games (cards, jigsaws) with two individuals without disabilities. The discriminative stimuli for challenging behavior were present during leisure sessions but challenging behavior was never reinforced. Immediately prior to leisure sessions, the participants received either access to the reinforcers that maintained challenging behavior or no access. Access versus no access to reinforcers for challenging behavior prior to leisure sessions was alternated in a multi-element design. Results demonstrated higher levels of challenging behavior during leisure sessions when the participants did not have access to the reinforcers prior to the sessions. Little challenging behavior occurred during leisure sessions when the participants had prior access to the reinforcers. Arguments for further examining the behavior-altering effects of the motivating operation in future applied research are presented.
authors.affiliation: Department of Special Education, 1 University Station D5300, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712, United States. markoreilly@mail.utexas.edu
authors.forename: Mark F
authors.initials: MF
authors.lastname: O'Reilly
authors.forename: Jeff
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Sigafoos
authors.forename: Giulio
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Lancioni
authors.forename: Mandy
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Rispoli
authors.forename: Russell
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Lang
authors.forename: Jeff
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Chan
authors.forename: Wendy
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Machalicek
authors.forename: Paul
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Langthorne
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001521:Behavior Therapy / Q000379:methods*; D002653:Child Behavior Disorders / Q000523:psychology / Q000628:therapy; D002658:Developmental Disabilities / Q000523:psychology* / Q000628:therapy*; D006801:Humans; D008607:Intellectual Disability / Q000523:psychology / Q000628:therapy; D007899:Leisure Activities; D008297:Male; D009042:Motivation; D010988:Play and Playthings; D012054:Reinforcement, Psychology; D012720:Severity of Illness Index