Improving students' perceptions of a mathematics assignment by increasing problem completion rates: Is problem completion a reinforcing event?

A Randomized Controlled Trial of the Morningside Math Facts Curriculum on Fluency, Stability, Endurance and Application Outcomes

“…This has important implications for the application of frequency-building with students in educational settings. It is suggested that low rates of responding when completing mathematics tasks, within set time limits, can be associated with receiving no contingent reinforcement, delayed, or less frequent reinforcement as a consequence of infrequently completing such tasks (Bliss et al, 2010;Logan & Skinner, 1998;Skinner, 2002). This, in conjunction with a high level of response effort, is purported to decrease the probability that students engage in mathematics tasks (Billington et al, 2004;Bliss et al, 2010;Skinner et al, 2005).…”

An Exploratory Analysis of Task‐interspersal Procedures While Teaching Object Labels to Children With Autism

“…Finally, the interspersal technique is often recommended for use with children with autism, yet many studies on interspersal have been conducted with children of typical development or those with learning disabilities (e.g., Cooke, Guzaukas, Pressley, & Kerr, 1993;Cooke & Reichard, 1996;Logan & Skinner, 1998;Roberts & Shapiro, 1996;Robinson & Skinner, 2002;Wildmon et al, 2004).…”

Extending research on the interspersal procedure to perceptions of continuous reading assignments: Applied and theoretical implications of a failure to replicate

“…Research results related to response effort and schedules of reinforcement indicate that students who require more time and effort to complete academic assignments or tasks may be less likely to choose to engage in those assigned academic tasks Horner, Day, Sprague, O'Brien, & Heatherfield, 1991;Fitts, 1954;Logan & Skinner, 1998). Thus, students who need additional opportunities to respond to improve their reading proficiency, may be more likely to choose not to engage in these additional reading behaviors because these behaviors require more effort.…”

“…Skinner and colleagues have conducted a series of studies that showed that they could enhance students' perceptions of mathematics assignments by adding and interspersing additional problems that are briefer and easier than target problems (Cates & Skinner, 2000;Cates, Skinner, Watkins, & Rhymer, in press;Logan & Skinner, 1998;Skinner, Fletcher, Wildmon, & Belfiore, 1996;Skinner et al, 1999;Skinner, Robinson, Johns, Logan, & Belfiore, 1996;Wildmon, Skinner, McCurdy, & Sims, 1999;Wildmon, Skinner & McDade, 1998). In these studies, students were exposed to control assignments that contained only target mathematics problems (e.g., 679 ϫ 87 ϭ ) and experimental assignments where briefer, easier problems (e.g., 6 ϫ 8 ϭ ) were added and interspersed following every third problem.…”

“…Other strategies designed to increase the probability of students choosing to engage in assigned tasks include reducing the length of assignments or making assignments easier by replacing difficult tasks with easier tasks (Cooke, Guzaukas, Pressley, & Kerr, 1993;Dunlap & Kern, 1996;Kern, Childs, Dunlap, Clarke, & Falk, 1994). Although these effortreduction procedures may increase the probability of students choosing to engage in academic assignments, decreasing the academic demands placed on the students also may decrease their learning rates (Logan & Skinner, 1998).…”