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 Procedure

Different 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 Water

DOETypical

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 Tasks

Correlated Task

Uncorrelated Task

Video

• Show video Clip

Santi: Intraverbals

Correlated Task

Uncorrelated Task

Results Experiment 1: Santi

Josh: Intraverbals

Correlated Task

Uncorrelated Task

Results Experiment 1: Josh

Decreased # experimenters

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: Intraverbals

Correlated Task

Uncorrelated Task

ResultsExperiment 2: Caliel

Austin: Tacts

Correlated Task

Uncorrelated Task

Austin: Intraverbals

Correlated Task

Uncorrelated Task

ResultsExperiment 2: Austin

Discussion of Austin

Why was uncorrelated more effective?

Correlated Task

Summary of Results

Participant 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 Differential Outcomes EffectEffect

Match-to-Sample

Traditional Discrimination Traditional Discrimination TrainingTraining

Assay: Match-to-sample

Sample stimulus

Choice stimuli

Food Food

DOE ProcedureDOE Procedure

Sample stimulus

Food Drink

DOE ProcedureDOE Procedure

Sample stimulus

Food Drink

DOE Control DOE Control ProceduresProcedures

Sample stimulus

.5 Food/.5 Drink

.5 Food/.5 Drink

Uncorrelated

Sample stimulus

Food Drink

Correlated

DOE Procedure: DOE Procedure: ApplicationApplication

A B

SD: “Point to A”

Candy Soda

SD: “Point to B”

Academic Tasks

DOE Procedure: DOE Procedure: ApplicationApplication

“Sandwich”

“My friend Will”

SD: “What did you just eat?”

Candy Soda

SD: “Who did you just talk to?”

Recall Tasks

ExercisesExercises

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

What is the proper control procedure in a What is the proper control procedure in a DOE study?DOE study?

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