The use of the high-probability (high-p) instructional sequence to increase compliance, which includes issuing a series of instructions with which a participant is likely to comply immediately before issuing a low-probability instruction, has received mixed support in the literature. Previous research has suggested that the delivery of response independent reinforcement may be as effective to increase compliance, at least for some types of instructions. In this study, we examined the effects of response independent reinforcement and the high-p sequence on compliance with two types of instructions with two young children. Results show that neither procedure was effective for increasing compliance for either type of instruction; however, contingent access to a high preference item increased compliance. Results are discussed in terms of the conditions under which response independent delivery of high-preference items and the high-p instructional sequence might be effective to increase compliance.
The high-probability (high-p) instructional sequence involves the delivery of a series of high-probability instructions immediately before delivery of a low-probability or target instruction. It has been shown to be efficacious for treating noncompliance among children and individuals with intellectual disabilities. Previous research (Esch & Fryling, ) has suggested that matching the topography of the response required to comply with high-p instructions with the topography of the response required to comply with the low-p instruction in the sequence may lead to greater increases in compliance with the low-p instruction. In this study, we compared high-p instructions that required both similar and dissimilar responses to two topographies of low-p instructions (motor and vocal) among two young children. Results suggested that the topography of the response required by the high-p instructions did not affect levels of compliance with low-p instructions for either participant. Implications of these findings and directions for future research are discussed.
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