Establishing books as conditioned reinforcers for preschool children as a function of an observational intervention.

Three preschoolers with mild delays watched a peer earn book time for doing tasks. The researchers never gave the watchers books directly. They only let them see the peer get books.

The team used a multiple baseline design. They tracked if the watchers later picked books when offered choices during new tasks.

All three children started choosing books as reinforcers after just watching. Books became valuable without any direct reward.

The effect held when the kids moved to brand-new learning tasks. Observational learning alone turned neutral books into powerful reinforcers.

Walker et al. (2013) extends these results. They showed the peer must be physically present beside an empty chair for conditioning to work. The 2011 study implied peer presence; the 2013 study proved it matters.

Loomis et al. (2026) offers a different path to the same goal. They used continuous direct reinforcement plus social play to make books reinforcing. Both methods succeed, giving you two tools: watch or experience.

Lugo et al. (2017) used discrimination training to condition praise. Their effects faded without extra steps. Observational conditioning in the 2011 study held steady, suggesting it may create more durable reinforcers.

You can build new reinforcers without spending trial time or tokens. Seat a peer beside an empty chair, let the learner watch the peer earn books, then offer book breaks during work. No extra reinforcement needed from you.