Craig W. Strohmeier, Mirela Cengher, Michelle D. Chin, John Michael Falligant
{"title":"Application of a terminal schedule probe method to inform schedule thinning with multiple schedules","authors":"Craig W. Strohmeier, Mirela Cengher, Michelle D. Chin, John Michael Falligant","doi":"10.1002/jaba.1081","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"abstract":"<p>Multiple schedules are effective at decreasing challenging behavior and maintaining alternative behavior at acceptable levels. Currently, no conclusive guidance is available for empirically deriving multiple-schedule components (continuous reinforcement for alternative behavior and extinction for challenging behavior [discriminative stimulus] and extinction for both alternative and challenging behavior [delta stimulus]) during the schedule-thinning process. In the current investigation, we describe a terminal schedule probe method to determine delta stimulus starting points and strategies for subsequent schedule-thinning progressions to reach caregiver-informed terminal schedules. We review schedule-thinning outcomes for a clinical cohort using a consecutive controlled case series approach and report results for two groups: One group included applications of terminal probe thinning (<i>n</i> = 24), and the other involved traditional dense-to-lean thinning (<i>n</i> = 18). Outcomes suggest that the terminal schedule probe method produced effective treatments with less resurgence of challenging behavior and leaner, more feasible, multiple schedules.</p>","PeriodicalId":14983,"journal":{"name":"Journal of applied behavior analysis","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":2.9000,"publicationDate":"2024-05-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":"0","resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":null,"PeriodicalName":"Journal of applied behavior analysis","FirstCategoryId":"102","ListUrlMain":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/jaba.1081","RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"心理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":null,"EPubDate":"","PubModel":"","JCR":"Q1","JCRName":"PSYCHOLOGY, CLINICAL","Score":null,"Total":0}
引用次数: 0
Abstract
Multiple schedules are effective at decreasing challenging behavior and maintaining alternative behavior at acceptable levels. Currently, no conclusive guidance is available for empirically deriving multiple-schedule components (continuous reinforcement for alternative behavior and extinction for challenging behavior [discriminative stimulus] and extinction for both alternative and challenging behavior [delta stimulus]) during the schedule-thinning process. In the current investigation, we describe a terminal schedule probe method to determine delta stimulus starting points and strategies for subsequent schedule-thinning progressions to reach caregiver-informed terminal schedules. We review schedule-thinning outcomes for a clinical cohort using a consecutive controlled case series approach and report results for two groups: One group included applications of terminal probe thinning (n = 24), and the other involved traditional dense-to-lean thinning (n = 18). Outcomes suggest that the terminal schedule probe method produced effective treatments with less resurgence of challenging behavior and leaner, more feasible, multiple schedules.