Date of Award
8-1-2018
Degree Name
Master of Science
Department
Behavior Analysis and Therapy
First Advisor
Dixon, Dr. Mark
Abstract
The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of multiple exemplar training in establishing comparative relations of faster and slower as a generalized operant in children with autism. The current study employed a multiple baseline across participants to evaluate the effectiveness of the multiple exemplar training procedures. The participants used in the study were 3 children diagnosed with Autism. The baseline phase consisted of 4-trial blocks; this was done by presenting each stimulus once for AB- relation. Participants were trained comparative relations of faster and slower with one set of stimuli, and test probes were conducted with a novel, untrained set of stimuli to evaluate the degree to which participants responding generalized. This sequence was repeated for the duration of baseline. Y/Z relation remained at low levels during baseline and was only used to see if the skill generalized. The results suggest the procedures were effective for teaching comparative relations for 3 of the 3 participants. Additionally, 3 of the participants responded correctly to the test relations, supporting the use of the procedures in prompting generalized relational responding. An implication is that we can utilize these procedures to establish relational responding in children with autism.
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