Investigating the Step Size in a Progressive-Ratio Schedule of Reinforcement for Young Children Diagnosed with Autism

Abstract

Therapists who provide behavioral therapy to young children with autism need to identify preferred items to use as reinforcers in order to teach appropriate and functional skills. More recently, researchers discovered progressive?ratio schedules of reinforcement produces a more accurate conclusion of which items will function as reinforcers. A progressive ratio schedule consists of an increase in the response requirement after each obtained reinforcer until a previously determined session criterion has been met. The current study examined the differences between a PR schedule with an additive step size and a geometric step size, which subsequently lead to an examination of other procedural considerations for implementing a PR schedule with young children with autism.