Behavioral momentum theory (BMT) provides a theoretical framework for studying the persistence of behavior when challenged. The typical experimental arrangement to study persistence involves reinforcing a behavior according to a multiple schedules design. Unique schedules of reinforcement are programmed to each component. When steady-state responding occurs, the schedules of reinforcement are disrupted by a challenge condition (e.g., extinction, distraction, or prefeeding). The multiple schedules component that maintains the greatest level of responding during disruption is described as being more persistent. Basic research has shown that rate of reinforcement is a reliable predictor of persistence. The multiple schedules component associated with the higher rate of reinforcement persists longer than the multiple schedules component associated with the lower rate of reinforcement during disruption. Applied researchers have recently begun translating BMT to problems of social significance. The success of these initial translations suggests that relations between other dimensions of reinforcement and persistence should be studied. The current two-experiment study investigated the effect of quality of reinforcement on the persistence of task completion. Three participants with a history of engaging in problem behavior to escape from demands participated in Experiment I. After showing the conditions under which participants would and would not allocate away from a work task to engage with a preferred item, a baseline measure of task completion was obtained. Task completion was then reinforced with attention or tangibles within a multiple schedules design. Orange tokens signaled access to tangible reinforcement and yellow tokens signaled access to attention reinforcement. After steady-state responding occurred, preference for attention and tangibles was assessed within a concurrent schedules design. Extinction was then implemented to disrupt task completion within each component of the multiple schedules design. Results showed modest differences in the persistence of task completion with task completion in the multiple schedules component associated with the delivery of the more preferred reinforcer persisting longest. The modest differences in persistence were smaller than what has previously been shown in the literature. Thus, a follow-up experiment was conducted to evaluate the effect of reinforcer potency on the persistence of task completion. Three participants with a history of engaging in problem behavior to escape from demands participated in Experiment II. After identifying relatively more and less preferred stimuli with a multiple stimulus without replacement (MSWO) preference assessment, a unit price analysis was conducted to evaluate the potency of these two items within a concurrent schedules design. Task completion was then reinforced with the more and less potent reinforcers according to a multiple schedules design. After showing steady-state responding, task completion was disrupted by extinction. Results clearly showed greater persistence of task completion under the component associated with the delivery of the more potent reinforcer for two of three participants. Results from both experiments are discussed in terms of their conceptual and applied implications.

A feeding disorder occurs when a child does not consume enough food to meet his or her caloric needs to gain weight and grow. Approximately 25% to 40% of infants and toddlers with normal development and 33% to 80% of infants and toddlers with developmental disabilities are affected by feeding problems. Types of treatments used to address feeding problems commonly include behavioral treatments that involve escape extinction or medical procedures that involve a gastrostomy tube. Both types of treatments are associated with negative side effects. The purpose of the current study was to evaluate the individualistic and interactive effects of response effort and quality of reinforcement on bites accepted within an outpatient clinic program with five children diagnosed with feeding problems. The effects of effort and quality were studied as motivating operations, meaning that their presence altered the child's motivation to eat. Response effort was defined based on the oral-motor manipulations required to consume different types and textures of food. Quality of reinforcement was defined as the individual choosing to consume a food of a similar type and/or texture over another food. Interobserver agreement (IOA) was assessed across at least 30% of feeding sessions for all children with an average IOA of 98.2% for bites accepted/mouth closures and 96.9% for problem behavior for one child. For each child, three evaluations were conducted: (a) an analysis of the independent effects of quality or effort, (b) an analysis of the interaction of quality and effort, and (c) implementation of a reinforcement-based treatment matched to the results of the assessments. The assessment and treatment evaluations were conducted within single case designs. The results of the current study demonstrated that the influence of effort and quality alone or together (i.e., exclusive or interactive) functioned in a highly individualistic way as motivation operations. Effort influenced bites accepted for one child, quality influenced mouth closures for one child, quality and effort both influenced bites accepted for two children, and the interaction of effort and quality influenced bites accepted for one child. The treatment matched to these assessment results showed improvement in bites accepted with a reinforcement-based treatment that did not rely on escape extinction for three of the children. For all three children, total food consumption increased sufficiently that either the G-tube feedings were reduced or bottle feedings with a high caloric liquid (e.g., Pediasure) were decreased or eliminated. Treatment consisted of escape extinction for one child because he did not respond to the manipulations of quality and effort. Overall, the results of the current study demonstrated that specific dimensions of reinforcement function as motivating operations for food refusal and could be altered for four of the five children to improve eating without relying on escape extinction.

The Diploma’s thesis deals with the design of selected parts of reinforced and prestressed concrete structure. Internal forces were solved by software SCIA ENGINEER. Prestress concrete element was solved by module TDA. Phases of construction were considered. Detailed solution is focused on the design of reinforced concrete floor slab with joists within the basement, reinforced concrete beam with five spans within the basement, reinforced girder within the basement, reinforced column within the basement, reinforced footing and prestressed concrete joist within the basement. Drawings of shape and drawings of reinforcement are included in this thesis. Other elements of construction were not solved in this thesis.