title: Evaluation of a lag schedule of reinforcement in a group contingency to promote varied naming of categories items with children.
abstract: We compared the effects of Lag 0 and Lag 1 schedules of reinforcement on children's responses naming category items in a group context and subsequent responses emitted during individual testing in which the schedule of reinforcement remained Lag 0. Specifically, we measured response variability and novel responses to categories for 3 children who demonstrated the lowest level of variability during an initial individual Lag 0 testing session. An additional 3 children who emitted a high level of variability during initial individual Lag 0 testing sessions served as peers during group sessions. Results showed that participants conformed to the Lag 1 schedule and were more likely to repeat peer responses in the group and during individual testing in the Lag 1 condition. Furthermore, the reinforcement schedule in effect during group sessions affected participants' varied responses during individual testing, during which the reinforcement schedule remained unchanged.
authors.affiliation: Texas Tech University.
authors.forename: Katie M
authors.initials: KM
authors.lastname: Wiskow
authors.affiliation: Texas Tech University.
authors.forename: Jeanne M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Donaldson
mesh_terms: D001521:Behavior Therapy / Q000379:methods*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D002755:Choice Behavior; D002658:Developmental Disabilities / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000523:psychology / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009275:Names; D012055:Reinforcement Schedule
keywords: categories; classroom; generalization; group contingencies; lag schedules; variability