Developing Stimulus Control of Preschooler Mands: An Analysis of Schedule‐correlated and Contingency‐specifying Stimuli

Abstract

The present study replicates and extends previous research on stimulus control by arranging teacher attention for preschooler's mands into a multiple schedule and conducting a component analysis of the effects of schedule-correlated stimuli and contingency-specifying stimuli (rules) on the development of discriminated manding.

An Example of Discovery Research Involving the Transfer of Stimulus Control

“…This was surprising, because in previous research (Hanley, Thompson, & Iwata, 2001;Tiger & Hanley, 2004) discriminated social approaches failed to be maintained in the absence of programmed schedule-correlated stimuli.…”

“…Sessions were similar to those described by Tiger and Hanley (2004). Children had access to academic materials (e.g., blocks, string beads) at individual tables across from and facing the experimenter.…”

“…Initially we attempted to teach preschool children to recruit teacher attention at appropriate times by arranging the availability of attention into a multiple schedule of reinforcement. This procedure involved programming regular periods in which attention would and would not be available, providing children with continuous and distinct signals during both of these periods, and describing the different consequences for recruiting teacher attention (reinforcement or extinction) correlated with each stimulus (Tiger & Hanley, 2004). In an attempt to demonstrate functional control over the effects of the multiple-schedule arrangement on social approach responses, we eventually removed the schedule-correlated stimuli, in essence creating a mixed schedule of reinforcement (i.e., alternation of two different schedules in the absence of correlated stimuli).…”

“…Also, identifying the relevant histories or present contingencies that result in discriminated responding in the absence of overt schedule-correlated stimuli may have practical implications. Finally, one of the later goals of our programmatic research, targeted to increase the social acceptability of procedures described by Tiger and Hanley (2004), was to eliminate the artificial signals by transferring stimulus control to events in the natural environment.…”

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The initial purpose of the present study was to replicate procedures for teaching preschool children to recruit attention at appropriate times by having an experimenter signal the availability and unavailability of attention (i.e., arrange a multiple schedule involving reinforcement and extinction; Tiger & Hanley, 2004). Following the development of discriminated social responding, the schedule-correlated stimuli were removed (i.e., a mixed schedule of reinforcement was arranged).

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