Identifying Games as Consequences of Choice Behavior for Children

Social behavior may be defi ned as the behavior of two or more people with respect to one another or in concert with respect to a common environment. The aim of this study was to identify if pictures that represent games could function as social reinforcers for children. Participants were three children with typical development, and the experimental stimuli were two geometrical fi gures and pictures that represented games (apps) for a Tablet. Daily preference assessments were made, following the preference assessment. After selecting a geometrical fi gure, the participants were given the opportunity to engage in the game with one of the experimenters, represented in their favorite picture. The dependent variable was the percentage of times the participant chose a particular geometrical fi gure per session. The results suggest that the procedures used in this research were accurate to identify games as reinforcers and its reinforcing value was subsequently tested in simple discrimination and reversal tasks. This procedure can be conducted quickly and with a relatively low cost of response. This research demonstrated the importance of offering choice opportunities and contact with games for typical children, showing that games can be used as reinforcers for teaching procedures.