Exploring effects of differential observing responses on vocal tact acquisition
Adding an identity-matching DOR to tact trials is hit-or-miss for typically developing preschoolers—probe first and drop it if learning is already fast.
01Research in Context
What this study did
Devine et al. (2022) asked if preschoolers learn new tacts faster when you add an identity-matching task before each trial. The child sees a picture, points to its twin from three cards, then names the picture. Eight neurotypical preschoolers went through discrete-trial tact lessons with and without this extra step.
The team tracked how many trials each child needed to reach mastery. They also tried verbal DORs and plain tact-only trials to see which package worked best.
What they found
Only two of the eight children mastered the tacts faster with the identity-matching DOR. The other six did just as well, or better, without it. Verbal DORs and no-DOR conditions also gave mixed results.
Bottom line: the extra observing response did not reliably speed up learning for typically developing preschoolers.
How this fits with other research
Cortes et al. (2022) ran a similar null result the same year. They swapped praise types during toddler tact trials and saw no change in speed. Together these studies warn that small procedural tweaks often fail to give a boost when kids already learn quickly.
Kodak et al. (2020) and Vladescu et al. (2021) show bigger levers matter. Both found that simply changing stimulus set size can halve trials to mastery for children with autism. Devine’s work now extends that conversation to neurotypical kids and adds DORs to the ‘probably not worth it’ list.
Chang et al. (2024) later confirmed that switching mastery criteria, not adding steps, is what saves time. Their replication strengthens the rule: refine the goalposts before you tack on extra responses.
Why it matters
If you work with preschoolers who are on track developmentally, probe first. Run a short baseline without the identity-matching task. If the child learns in a few sessions, skip the DOR and save precious therapy minutes. Reserve the extra observing response for learners who truly need help attending, not for every typically developing client.
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02At a glance
03Original abstract
AbstractTwo studies were conducted to explore the effects of differential observing responses (DORs) on vocal tact acquisition in preschool‐age children of typical development. In Study 1 with three participants, an identity‐matching DOR was incorporated into tact instruction trials with novel visual stimuli. Acquisition rates were similar in the DOR condition and in a non‐DOR condition. In Study 2 with five new participants, the identity‐matching DOR was implemented as an intervention when standard discrete‐trial instruction failed to produce acquisition of tacts of compound stimuli. Two participants reached mastery after the identity‐matching DOR was introduced, whereas three participants' progress was unaffected. For those three, the identity‐matching DOR was replaced with a verbal DOR (tacting of stimulus components), but although one participant's correct responding increased, none reached mastery. Two participants ultimately reached mastery after a non‐DOR intervention. Conditions under which DORs facilitate stimulus control outside of MTS tasks remain to be identified.
Behavioral Interventions, 2022 · doi:10.1002/bin.1782