Teaching self-control with qualitatively different reinforcers

Abstract

This study examined the effectiveness of using qualitatively different reinforcers to teach self-control to an adolescent boy who had been diagnosed with an intellectual disability. First, he was instructed to engage in an activity without programmed reinforcement. Next, he was instructed to engage in the activity under a two-choice fixed-duration schedule of reinforcement. Finally, he was exposed to self-control training, during which the delay to a more preferred reinforcer was initially short and then increased incrementally relative to the delay to a less preferred reinforcer. Self-control training effectively increased time on task to earn the delayed reinforcer.

Keywords: delay discounting; intellectual disability; self-control training.

Figure 1.

Duration of Stevie's task engagement during natural baseline (A), choice baseline (B₁ and B₂), and self-control training (C) conditions. The solid triangles indicate that the participant chose the delayed, more preferred reinforcer; the open triangles indicate that the participant chose the immediate, less preferred reinforcer; GEN = generalization probe.