A Functional Analysis on the Effects of an Observational Intervention using a Peer-Yoked Contingency Game Board on the Induction of Observational Performance, Observational Acquisition and Naming

A Functional Analysis on the Effects of an Observational Intervention using a Peer-Yoked Contingency Game Board on the Induction of Observational Performance, Observational Acquisition and Naming Lisa Danielle Gold The purpose of this study was to test the effects of a peer-yoked contingency on the induction of observational performance, observational acquisition, and the Naming capability. In Experiment I, three male Kindergarten and first grade students diagnosed with disabilities were selected as target participants because they had the listener component of Naming but were missing observational performance, observational acquisition nor did they have the speaker component of Naming capability in repertoire. Peer participants, kindergarten to first grade males, were selected because observational performance was in repertoire but they did not have observational acquisition and speaker component of Naming in repertoire. A non-concurrent multiple probe across participants was used to measure target participants' and peer participants' acquisition of both types of observational learning, as well as Naming. The independent variable was a peer-yoked contingency game board involving an observational intervention requiring the target participants to observe the peer participant. The dependent variable was the target participants and peer participants responses to probe trials for observational performance, observational acquisition, and Naming. The results of Experiment I showed that the peer-yoked contingency game was effective for inducing observational performance, observational acquisition, and Naming for the target participants. The intervention was also effective in the induction of observational performance, observational acquisition, and Naming for the peer participants. Experiment II was then conducted to further test the effects of the peer-yoked contingency game board. The target participants in Experiment II were four preschool aged children diagnosed with as a preschooler with a disability and who did not have in repertoire observational performance, observational acquisition, and Naming. Four preschool aged children served as peer participants during the observational intervention because they had observational performance in repertoire and the listener component of naming but were missing observational acquisition and speaker component of Naming. The dependent variable was the same as in Experiment I. The independent variable in Experiment II was the peer-yoked contingency game board with the reinforcement of duplicative behaviors. There were two types of conditions: No Peer (Peer was not present during the observational task); and Peer (Peer was present for the observational task). The results showed the No Peer condition did not increase either the target participants' or peer participants' responses to probe trials to criterion level for observational performance, observational acquisition, or Naming. The data from the Peer condition was effective in inducing capabilities for target participants and peer participants.