Peer presence and the emergence of conditioned reinforcement from observation.
Seat a peer beside the client and watch neutral items become reinforcers.
01Research in Context
What this study did
Three preschoolers watched a peer choose toys. Some toys were already fun. Others were just plastic blocks.
The peer sat beside an empty chair. The child sat in that chair. The peer picked toys and smiled.
Researchers then tested if the blocks became reinforcers. They gave the blocks when the child worked.
What they found
Only the peer-present condition worked. All three kids later worked to get the plain blocks.
Without the peer, the blocks stayed boring. No one wanted them.
How this fits with other research
Lowe et al. (1995) and Jason et al. (1985) show peers can do more than sit there. When peers are trained to start play, kids with autism talk and play more.
Cudré-Mauroux (2010) warns us to check if "reinforcers" really strengthen behavior. The blocks in Jessica et al. did increase work, so they passed the test.
Moxley (2002) found that weaker primary reinforcers cut observing. Jessica et al. flipped this: peer presence made neutral items worth observing and then worth working for.
Why it matters
You can turn any small item into a reinforcer in minutes. Just let the client watch a peer enjoy it. This saves time and tokens. Try it next time you run out of favored toys.
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02At a glance
03Original abstract
We examined the effects of peer presence on the conditioning of new reinforcers via observation. At the outset, strings and toothpicks did not reinforce maintenance or acquisition responses for 3 preschoolers with and without developmental delays. In the first intervention, the stimuli were placed in a cup in front of an empty chair next to the participant, and the participant was denied access to those stimuli. The second intervention was identical to the first, except that a peer was present. Postintervention tests revealed that only the peer intervention was successful in conditioning neutral stimuli as reinforcers for both maintenance and acquisition responses for all 3 participants. The presence of a peer appears to facilitate the conditioning of reinforcers by observation.
Journal of applied behavior analysis, 2013 · doi:10.1002/jaba.72