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An evaluation of resistance to change with unconditioned and conditioned reinforcers
Author(s) -
Vargo Kristina K.,
Ringdahl Joel E.
Publication year - 2015
Publication title -
journal of applied behavior analysis
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.1
H-Index - 76
eISSN - 1938-3703
pISSN - 0021-8855
DOI - 10.1002/jaba.226
Subject(s) - reinforcement , psychology , extinction (optical mineralogy) , unconditioned stimulus , conditioning , developmental psychology , conditioned place preference , classical conditioning , social psychology , neuroscience , addiction , chemistry , statistics , mathematics , mineralogy
Several reinforcer‐related variables influence a response's resistance to change (Nevin, 1974). Reinforcer type (i.e., conditioned or unconditioned) is a reinforcer‐related variable that has not been studied with humans but may have clinical implications. In Experiment 1, we identified unconditioned and conditioned reinforcers of equal preference. In Experiments 2, 3, and 4, we reinforced participants' behavior during a baseline phase using a multiple variable‐interval (VI) 30‐s VI 30‐s schedule with either conditioned (i.e., token) or unconditioned (i.e., food; one type of reinforcement in each component) reinforcement. After equal reinforcement rates across components, we introduced a disruptor. Results of Experiments 2 and 3 showed that behaviors were more resistant to extinction and distraction, respectively, with conditioned than with unconditioned reinforcers. Results of Experiment 4, however, showed that when prefeeding disrupted responding, behaviors were more resistant to change with unconditioned reinforcers than with conditioned reinforcers.