INTERACTION OF INITIAL RESPONSE RATE AND PRESENT SCHEDULES OF REINFORCEMENT ON PRODUCTION RATES OF SHELTERED WORKSHOP EMPLOYEES

DANIEL HAROLD BAKER, University of Nebraska - Lincoln

Abstract

It has been suggested that an individual's past experiences may interact with current reinforcement contingencies affecting that individual's response rate differently than what might be predicted if the current contingency were the sole determinant of the individual's behavior. If this is accurate, then there would be considerable benefit in understanding past experiences which affect response rate before initiating new teaching strategies. Since schedules of reinforcement have a profound effect upon rate of response, it is appropriate to examine behavior maintained by a known schedule of reinforcement as a function of various prior experiences. One population that such investigations might particularly benefit is employees of sheltered workshops. A major reason for individuals working in a sheltered workshop and not moving into competitive work is low rate of response. These individuals do not produce fast enough for the competitive labor market. If this low rate of responding were viewed as a function of reinforcement history rather than as an inherent defect of the individual, then it would seem appropriate to determine if, by systematically altering that history, this problem of slow responding might be avoided or at least minimized. This study identified those individuals who, after reaching criterion on a nut and trunion work sample, functioned either as a high rate or low rate responder, as compared to a standard measure of response rate. The rate of production was utilized as the dependent variable. The group of high rate responders were divided into two sub-groups. One received reinforcement for high rates of responding (DRH), while the other half of the high rate group received reinforcement for low rates of responding, i.e., differential reinforcement for low rates of responding (DRL). The low rate producers were likewise divided into two sub-groups and exposed to similar treatment, i.e., one-half the group was reinforced for high rates of responding, the other half will be reinforced for low rates of responding. In the final treatment period all groups were subjected to the same conditions of reinforcement, variable ratio three (VR(,3)). This period allowed the examination of the influence of past schedules of reinforcement upon a current schedule of reinforcement as measured by production rate. The main effects were analyzed as follows: Initial response rate (history) (high and low production groups) in Period I; initial response rate (history) x schedule (DRL or DRH) in Period II; and initial response rate (history) x schedule (DRL or DRH) x present schedule (VR(,3)) in Period III. Treatment effects were analyzed by a one-way ANOVA in Period I, and a two-factor ANOVA in Period II. A two-factor mixed design with repeated measures on one-factor ANOVA was used in Period III. In addition to the analysis of the main effects several post-hoc comparisons were made. The results of the research can be used to support an assumption that the initial response rate (history) and systemically developed history significantly effect the response rate of adult mentally retarded sheltered workshop employees under current treatment conditions. This study suggests that depending on the individual's history, the type of current treatment will be more or less effective in shaping behavior. While all reinforcement schedules shaped behavior in the direction that might be predicted, there was considerable variation, which appeared to be directly related to the individual's history.

Subject Area

Educational psychology

Recommended Citation

BAKER, DANIEL HAROLD, "INTERACTION OF INITIAL RESPONSE RATE AND PRESENT SCHEDULES OF REINFORCEMENT ON PRODUCTION RATES OF SHELTERED WORKSHOP EMPLOYEES" (1981). ETD collection for University of Nebraska-Lincoln. AAI8115760.
https://digitalcommons.unl.edu/dissertations/AAI8115760

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