The Differential Outcomes Effect: Teaching Verbal Operants

Michelle Olson, M.S, Mark Harvey, Ph.D, BCBAAnsley Hodges, M.S., BCBA, Eb Blakely, Ph.D, BCBA-D

Florida Institute of Technology and QuestKids

Typical Procedure

Differential Outcomes ProcedureDifferent reinforcers in a discrimination task, correlated with each kind of response

Increase rate of acquisition and/or maintain higher steady state performance

Differential Outcomes Effect

Lab Studies With Nonhumans:Variety of discrimination Paradigms

Two Choice Discrimination Experiments

Two-Choice Procedure: Correlated Outcomes

Light

Light

Two-Choice Control Procedure:Uncorrelated Outcomes

Light

Light

Two-Choice Control Procedure:Confound????

1. Two reinforcers2. Correlated outcomes

Food Food Food WaterDOETypical

Human Application: Correlated Outcomes

Human Application:Uncorrelated Outcomes

• Two boys with autism – 8 and 5 years old• QuestKids Academy –

Experiment 1: Extension to Verbal Operants

Experiment 1 Design

• Alternating Treatments

• Dependent Variable:– % correct of intraverbal responses

• Independent Variable:– Correlated vs. Uncorrelated outcomes

Baseline Procedure

General Treatment Procedure

Intraverbal TasksCorrelated Task

Uncorrelated Task

Video

• Show video Clip

Santi: IntraverbalsCorrelated Task

Uncorrelated Task

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Maint

Results Experiment 1: Santi

Josh: IntraverbalsCorrelated Task

Uncorrelated Task

Results Experiment 1: Josh

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Experiment 2: Extension to Intraverbals and Tacts

• Two different boys with autism both 8 years old

• QuestKids Academy –

Experiment 2

• Design:– Alternating Treatments– Multiple baseline across verbal operants

• Dependent Variable:– % correct responses– Note: 100% and 97%, IOA respectively

• Independent Variable:– Correlated vs. Uncorrelated outcomes

Caliel: Tacts

Correlated Task

Uncorrelated Task

Caliel: IntraverbalsCorrelated Task

Uncorrelated Task

ResultsExperiment 2: Caliel

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Austin: Tacts

Correlated Task

Uncorrelated Task

Austin: Intraverbals

Correlated Task

Uncorrelated Task

ResultsExperiment 2: Austin

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Discussion of Austin

Why was uncorrelated more effective?

Correlated Task

Summary of ResultsParticipant Intraverbal

(DOE)Tact

(DOE)Santi

Josh

Caliel x

Austin x x

Discussion

• DOE procedure has promise in teaching verbal operants, especially intraverbals

• Task difficulty critical element

• Use when traditional procedures don’t work

Discussion

–Future Directions• Intraverbals replications • Recall / Comprehension (DTMS)• Different ages / abilities

End

For this PowerPoint and references

Website: www.fitaba.comEmail: eblakely@questinc.org

Differential Outcomes Effect

Match-to-Sample

Traditional Discrimination Training

Assay: Match-to-sample

Sample stimulus

Choice stimuli

Food Food

DOE Procedure

Sample stimulus

Food Drink

DOE Procedure

Sample stimulus

Food Drink

DOE Control Procedures

Sample stimulus

.5 Food/.5 Drink

.5 Food/.5 Drink

Uncorrelated

Sample stimulus

Food DrinkCorrelated

DOE Procedure: Application

A B

SD: “Point to A”

Candy Soda

SD: “Point to B”

Academic Tasks

DOE Procedure: Application

“Sandwich”

“My friend Will”

SD: “What did you just eat?”

Candy Soda

SD: “Who did you just talk to?”

Recall Tasks

Exercises

The DOE is an effect in which different _________ are used for different ________ in a discrimination task.

What is the proper control procedure in a DOE study?

Pick a task that you are teaching, and design a DOE procedure for it.