Using Stimulus Equivalence-Based Instruction to Teach Graduate Students in Applied Behavior Analysis to Interpret Operant Functions of Behavior

• Published in: Journal of behavioral education Vol. 25; no. 3; pp. 290 - 309
• Main Authors: Albright, Leif, Schnell, Lauren, Reeve, Kenneth F., Sidener, Tina M.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: New York Springer 01.09.2016; Springer US; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Applied Behavior Analysis; Attention; Behavior; Behavior Patterns; Behavioral Science and Psychology; Behavioral sciences; Child and School Psychology; College Instruction; Computer Software; Computers in education; Control Groups; Educational activities; Functional analysis; Functional analysis (Psychology); Functional Behavioral Assessment; Graduate Students; Learning and Instruction; Learning rate; Mental stimulation; Multiple Choice Tests; Original Paper; Posttests; Pretests; Pretests Posttests; Psychology; Scores; Stimuli; Study and teaching; Teaching Methods; Toys; Training; Vignettes; Visual Stimuli; United States; Stimulus equivalence instruction; Functional analysis; Derived stimulus relations; Multiple exemplar training; College instruction
• ISSN: 1053-0819; 1573-3513
• DOI: 10.1007/s10864-016-9249-0

Stimulus equivalence-based instruction (EBI) was used to teach four, 4-member classes representing functions of behavior to ten graduate students. The classes represented behavior maintained by attention (Class 1), escape (Class 2), access to tangibles (Class 3), and automatic reinforcement (Class 4). Stimuli within each class consisted of a single textual label, and multiple exemplars of textual descriptions, graphical representations, and clinical vignettes. EBI was conducted using custom computer software in a match-to-sample (MTS) format. A pretest-train-posttest design conducted during a single session evaluated performances on computer MTS, written multiple-choice, and oral tests. Scores improved from pretests to posttests on all three tests for all students following EBI. In addition, class-consistent performances maintained 2 weeks after posttests were conducted. These results demonstrated that EBI can be used to effectively teach the functions of behavior and that a MTS teaching protocol administered on a computer can promote the emergence of class-consistent responding to selection-based (i.e., multiple-choice) and topography-based (i.e., oral) tests.