An Evaluation of High versus Low Preferred Education-Based Stimulus Equivalence Protocols for Adults with Developmental Disabilities outside the Educational System

Author

Ryan Allen Richmond, Southern Illinois University CarbondaleFollow

Date of Award

5-1-2015

Degree Name

Master of Science

Department

Behavior Analysis and Therapy

First Advisor

Rehfeldt, Ruth

Abstract

The present study utilized Microsoft Visual Basic 2008 to investigate the role of comparing high and low preferred education-based stimulus equivalence protocols for adults with developmental disabilities outside the educational system. First, participants were exposed to all educational categories and completed a paired choice preference assessment to identify high and low preferred protocols. Next, participants completed high and low preferred protocols following an alternating treatments design, with an initial pretest, training, posttest, and a test for an emergent topography (typing skills). Results showed evidence of higher preference through duration and errors per min measures for two of three participants, with results unclear for a third participant. Furthermore, one participant displayed all equivalence classes expected of the training protocol, while another demonstrated all emergent relations for the high preferred protocol but only one of six for the low preferred protocol, and the last participant exceeded criterion for four of six posttests for the high preferred protocol, and two of six for the low preferred protocol. The results are discussed in terms of measures for preferences, habilitation, modifications to training protocols, the study's limitations, and directions for future research.