Modification of perseverative responding that increased earnings but impeded skill acquisition in a job-skills training program

Abstract

Adults in a therapeutic workplace working on a computerized keyboarding training program earned vouchers for typing correct characters. Typing technique was evaluated on review steps. Participants could pass the review and earn a bonus, or skip the review and proceed with no bonus. Alternatively, participants could continue practicing on the same step. Participants persistently repeated the same step, which halted progress through the program but allowed them to increase their rate of responding and, as a result, their earnings. Blocking the initiation of practice on review steps and removing payment for practice initiated after prompts (extinction) both produced rapid progress through the program. These results underscore the importance of careful arrangement of the contingencies in adult education programs.

Keywords: addiction; extinction; job skills training; response blocking; voucher reinforcement.

Figure 1

Sample evaluation form.

Figure 2

Cumulative typing steps advanced as a function of technique review opportunities. A technique review opportunity is any completed timing in which the participant met the mastery criteria for a step and produced a stop sign and an instruction to get staff for a technique review. Note different x-axis and y-axis scales for each participant.

Figure 3

Number of correct characters typed for all 1-min keyboard training trials. The horizontal line on each graph shows mastery criteria for correct characters typed (maximum for each character set). Axis lengths are proportionally scaled.

Figure 4

Productivity pay per hour in U.S. dollars earned on the typing training program for each participant. Productivity pay includes all vouchers earned for typing correct characters and typing step-completion bonuses, but does not include hourly wages.