title: Effects of treatment-integrity failures on a response-cost procedure.
abstract: Effects of incorrect or partial implementation (poor treatment integrity) on response cost are largely unknown. We evaluated reduced treatment integrity during response cost on rates of 2 concurrently available responses. College students earned points by clicking on either a black circle or a red circle on a computer screen. Experiment 1 compared 2 types of treatment-integrity failures (omission and commission errors) across 2 levels of integrity (20% and 50%). Compared to 100% integrity conditions, omission errors did not suppress responding to the same extent, and commission errors reduced target responding but also decreased rates of alternative behavior. Experiment 2 compared the effects of 20% and 50% omission errors within subjects. Implementation at 50% integrity adequately suppressed responding, but treatment effects were lost at 20% integrity. There may be a critical level at which response cost must be implemented to suppress responding, which has important implications for application.
authors.affiliation: West Virginia University.
authors.forename: Claire C
authors.initials: CC
authors.lastname: St Peter
authors.affiliation: West Virginia University.
authors.forename: Jeffrey D
authors.initials: JD
authors.lastname: Byrd
authors.affiliation: Auburn University.
authors.forename: Sacha T
authors.initials: ST
authors.lastname: Pence
authors.affiliation: West Virginia University.
authors.forename: Apral P
authors.initials: AP
authors.lastname: Foreman
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D001288:Attention / Q000502:physiology*; D003216:Conditioning, Operant; D005108:Extinction, Psychological; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010775:Photic Stimulation; D011678:Punishment; D012055:Reinforcement Schedule; D012054:Reinforcement, Psychology; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: contrast; human operant; punishment; response cost; treatment integrity