title: Application of a lag contingency to reduce perseveration on circumscribed interests.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the effects of a lag reinforcement contingency on the conversation topics of children diagnosed with autism who perseverated on circumscribed interests (CIs).
  
  
  METHODS
  Single-case design study with two participants, age 11 and 12 years. A functional analysis employed an alternating-treatments design to assess effects of contingent attention on conversational behavior. A multiple-baseline with an embedded reversal design was employed in a subsequent lag contingency analysis, in which the conversation partner provided attention at the end of each 10 s interval if the content of the participant's conversation met the requirement of a Lag 0, Lag 1, or Lag 2 contingency.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The participants' conversational behavior was sensitive to a conversation-partner's attention as a consequence. Lag contingencies successfully altered the prevalence of CI-related and-unrelated talk.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Lag contingencies can shift conversation content away from CIs, but further research is needed to identify appropriate treatment goals with respect to variability and content.
authors.affiliation: a Department of Psychology , Texas Christian University , Fort Worth , TX , USA.
authors.forename: Tracy L
authors.initials: TL
authors.lastname: Lepper
authors.affiliation: a Department of Psychology , Texas Christian University , Fort Worth , TX , USA.
authors.forename: Bailey
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Devine
authors.affiliation: a Department of Psychology , Texas Christian University , Fort Worth , TX , USA.
authors.forename: Anna Ingeborg
authors.initials: AI
authors.lastname: Petursdottir
mesh_terms: D001288:Attention; D001321:Autistic Disorder / Q000523:psychology / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D012054:Reinforcement, Psychology; D014705:Verbal Behavior
keywords: Autism; circumscribed interests; conversational behavior; lag reinforcement; perseveration