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TEACHING COIN EQUIVALENCE TO THE MENTALLY RETARDED 1
Author(s) -
Trace Michael W.,
Cuvo Anthony J.,
Criswell Judith L.
Publication year - 1977
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 - 10.1901/jaba.1977.10-85
Subject(s) - equivalence (formal languages) , psychology , functional equivalence , mentally retarded , control (management) , arithmetic , mathematics education , developmental psychology , artificial intelligence , mathematics , discrete mathematics , computer science , linguistics , philosophy
A program was designed to teach coin equivalence to mentally retarded adolescents. Coin equivalence was defined as choosing several different combinations of coins to equal specified target values. A pretest‐posttest matched‐groups design was employed with an experimental group receiving the monetary training, and a no‐training control group. A multiple baseline across coin‐counting responses was also incorporated in the experimental group. Training was divided into six stages, each teaching one specific method of combining coins to equal 10 target values from 5¢ through 50¢. A three‐component response chain was used, requiring (a) naming, (b) selecting and counting, and (c) depositing target monetary values into a coin machine. Experimental subjects improved significantly in coin equivalence performance and maintained their skill on follow up tests; control subjects did not.