Preference for single versus varied reinforcers was assessed in the context of a token system. This study also assessed the preferences of 4 participants for one stimulus versus a number of qualitatively different stimuli, presented contingent on academic task completion. A paired-choice preference assessment was conducted followed by a reinforcer assessment using a combined reversal and multi-element design. The purpose of these procedures was to determine whether higher rates of responding would occur during conditions in which token reinforcement produced access to back-up reinforcers compared to a no reinforcement condition. Next, the opportunity to choose single versus varied token reinforcers was presented in a concurrent -chains arrangement. The dependent variables were the number of letters traced per min and the number of tokens earned per min during 3-min sessions, and the percentage of selections for single versus varied conditions. Results showed that response rates during the reinforcer assessment were higher during the reinforcement condition relative to the no reinforcement condition. A preference was not detected for 2 of 4 participants when the opportunity to choose from the same or qualitatively different reinforcers was presented. One of 4 participants preferred selecting the varied-choice condition (i.e., qualitatively different back-up reinforcers), and a second participant showed a similar pattern, but results were inconclusive due to limited data.

Thesis (M.A.)--West Virginia University, 2004. / Title from document title page. Document formatted into pages; contains iv, 106 p. : ill. Includes abstract. Includes bibliographical references (p. 53-61).

The research literature with nonhumans supports findings that token economies are a common component of training programs. The literature suggests that the schedule by which exchange opportunities become available determines the organization of behavioral performances in token economies to a great extent. This study sought to systematically document whether the dynamics observed in basic laboratory procedures will also be observed in a child diagnosed with autism spectrum disorders and whether altering schedules by which the exchange opportunities become available will attenuate these effects. The participant was exposed to two conditions: 1) a fixed token-production schedule (FR1) with a fixed token-exchange schedule (FR5) and 2) a fixed token-production schedule (FR1) with a variable token-exchange schedule (VR5). Results of the current study did not lend themselves to draw definitive conclusions that the patterns of responding observed in this experiment were in fact due to the change in the token exchange schedule.

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The token economy is a widely used and versatile motivational system within applied behavior analysis. Moreover, token reinforcement procedures have been shown to be highly effective in the treatment of children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). In the experimental analysis of behavior, token reinforcement contingencies are conceptualized as three interconnected schedule components: (1) the token-production schedule, (2) the exchange-production schedule, and (3) the token-exchange schedule. Basic work with nonhuman subjects has demonstrated that the exchange-production schedule is the primary driver of performance in these arrangements, and that variable-ratio exchange-production results in reduced pre-ratio pausing and greater overall rates of responding relative to fixed-ratio exchange-production schedules. However, little applied research has been conducted to assess the generality of these findings within applied settings. The purpose of this study was to determine if fixed- and variable-ratio token exchange-production schedules would exert differential effects on pre-ratio pausing and overall rates of responding for three children with ASD during a free-operant sorting task. The results showed that pre-ratio pausing and overall rates of responding were not differentially effected by the fixed- and variable-ratio exchange-production schedules. Discrepancies between the experimental work and the current study are discussed along with additional limitations.