Response-Cost

Jeremy SPED 843  Dr. Aronin  Spring 2011

 Response Cost

__Description of Intervention Method __ Implementation of the Response/Cost behavioral management strategy may vary in form. The video belows illustrates one method of implementation. media type="youtube" key="v_IDEdC5mPw" height="390" width="640"

__Types of Students Who Benefit from the Method __ This method is best used for students whose behavior are minor disruptions.

__Qualifications for Using the Method__  This method requires an understanding of how to implement a response/cost strategy.

__Costs of Using the Method__  The cost of this method depends on the rewards used. This method can feasibly be implemented with minimal costs.

__Potential Risks with Using the Method__  Students may develop feelings of resentment for paying the cost. Students may associate paying the cost with a negative characteristic of the teacher instead of their own behavior.

__Benefits of Using the Method__ <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;"> The use of this method is relatively easy to implement and can be done with minimal costs.

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">__Settings for Method Use__ <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;"> This method can be used across school settings.

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">__Field’s Attitude Towards the Method__ <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;"> Response/Cost is general viewed as an acceptable method of behavior management. <span style="display: block; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; text-align: center;">Summary of Research Study <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; margin-bottom: 0in;">Pietras, C. J., Brandt, A. E., & Searcy, G. D. (2010). Human responding on random-interval schedules of response-cost punishment: the role of reduced reinforcement density. Journal of the Experimental Analysis of Behavior, 93(1), 5-26.

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">__Description of Subjects__ <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; margin-bottom: 0in;">Eight individuals (3 women and 5 men) completed the study. Participants were recruited by flyers posted around the university campus requesting volunteers 18–40 yrs of age for ‘‘Behavioral Research’’ or ‘‘Research on Decision Making.’’ Individuals reporting current illicit drug use or use of psychoactive medications were excluded.

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">__Description of Research Design__ <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; margin-bottom: 0in;">Participants were seated alone in one of two identical cubicles, containing a swivel chair, desk, computer monitor, and response panel containing three push buttons labeled right to left ‘‘A’’, ‘‘B’’, and ‘‘C’’. The cubicles were located in a windowless room. Each cubicle also contained a white noise generator to help mask extraneous noise and a camera for real-time observation. Participants were also asked to wear headphones during experimental sessions to reduce extraneous noise and to deliver auditory stimuli. All experimental events and data monitoring were controlled by computers located in another room.

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; margin-bottom: 0in;">In punishment conditions, responding in one component, the no-punishment component, continued to occasionally produce money. Responding in the punishment component occasionally produced money and money losses. When a money loss was scheduled, the next press on the ‘‘B’’ button caused the letter ‘‘B’’ to disappear from the screen and caused a negative amount of money to be shown on the screen for 1s in red font. The money loss was accompanied by a 500 ms tone (1000 Hz). The money amount was then subtracted from the total counter and the letter ‘‘B’’ again appeared on the screen. The total counter was not permitted to go into negative values; thus, money losses only occurred if the total earnings counter was greater than $0.00. If a money loss and money gain were scheduled simultaneously, the outcome presented after the response was determined randomly and the next response produced the other outcome.

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">__Dependent Variable__ <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">The dependent variable is the participant's rate of response.

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">__Independent Variable__ <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">The independent variable is loss of money immediately following a participant's response.

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">__Summary of Results__ <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">Six of eight participants showed a decrease in responding in the punishment component under response-cost conditions.