Assessing Parameters of Reinforcement on Efficiency of Acquisition: A Systematic Review
Use food or toys, not just praise, to make DTT teaching faster for autistic learners.
01Research in Context
What this study did
Weinsztok et al. (2023) read every DTT paper that compared types of reinforcers. They looked for who learned fastest when the reward was food, toys, praise, or tokens. All studies were with autistic children or kids with developmental delay.
What they found
Snack and toy reinforcers usually beat praise alone. Kids reached mastery in fewer trials when the reward was something they could eat or hold. Effects were not the same for every child, but the trend was clear.
How this fits with other research
The finding lines up with a 1962 lab study (W et al.) that first showed tokens plus candy beat praise for teaching preschoolers to read. It also matches Jessel et al. (2020), who found switching from big to small rewards after errors sped up DTT.
Heinicke et al. (2012) seems to disagree at first glance. Their data say delayed food still works, but the delay was only 20–40 s. The review shows praise never catches up, so immediacy and type both matter.
Tullis et al. (2022) used praise-only instructive feedback and still got new skills. The review reminds us those bonus responses took extra trials. Edible or tangible rewards would have made the process faster.
Why it matters
Stop relying on “good job” during early DTT. Grab a goldfish or a mini-car and deliver it right after the correct response. You will cut training time and give the learner more wins per session. Swap back to praise later when the skill is strong.
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02At a glance
03Original abstract
Discrete-trial training (DTT) is a common method of instruction used in early intervention amongindividuals with autism spectrum disorder and related neurodevelopmental disorders and is an effective method of teaching different skills such as tacting, listener responding, and matching. Delivery of effective reinforcers is a key component of DTT. Although general recommendations have been made for effective reinforcement delivery in DTT, no review has synthesized the available research on the efficiency of various reinforcer parameters on efficiency of acquisition. The current systematic review assessed the efficiency of various reinforcer parameters on acquisition in DTT. Results were idiosyncratic, and a general paucity of repeated measures examining specific reinforcer parameters within and across studies was observed. In general, (1) maintaining high levels of treatment integrity, (2) delivery of tangible (i.e. leisure items) or edible reinforcers in comparison with contingent praise as a reinforcer, and (3) delivery of edible reinforcers in comparison with other topographies of reinforcement were the most successful reinforcer parameter manipulations and always resulted in more efficient skill acquisition. The results of this review provide clinicians with information regarding what reinforcer parameter manipulations may be more or less likely to support efficient acquisition. The present review also provides considerations and makes recommendations for future research.
Behavior Analysis in Practice, 2023 · doi:10.1007/s40617-022-00715-7