Blending Staff Preference Assessments and Contingent Reinforcement to Enhance Data Collection in a Residential Facility for Adults with Severe Aggressive Behavior
Let staff pick their own reinforcer and make it contingent on ≥80% daily data completion—fidelity jumped immediately in every house.
01Research in Context
What this study did
Guercio and colleagues worked in three group homes for adults with intellectual disability and severe aggression.
Staff were failing to finish daily data sheets.
The team first asked each staff member what item they really wanted (coffee cards, snacks, extra break).
They then told workers: hit 80% or better data completion today and you get your chosen item tomorrow.
The researchers tracked completion across homes using a multiple-baseline design.
What they found
As soon as the contingency started, every home cleared the 80% mark.
Fidelity stayed high while the system remained in place.
No extra training or nagging was needed—just staff-chosen rewards tied to one clear target.
How this fits with other research
Gil et al. (2016) already showed that graphs plus goals lift data compliance in large facilities.
Guercio keeps the same aim but swaps paper feedback for a small, staff-selected prize.
Shabani et al. (2006) proved brief supervisor feedback beats in-service alone.
The new study extends that idea: let workers pick the consequence themselves and you may not need daily supervisor feedback at all.
Weston et al. (2020) compared token schedules with children; Guercio moves the token concept to adult staff, showing the mechanics work across ages and roles.
Why it matters
You can copy this Monday: ask each staff member what they want, set 80% data completion as the pass line, and hand over the item next shift.
No extra meetings, no graphs, no overtime.
One clear rule plus personal choice equals reliable data for your most challenging clients.
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02At a glance
03Original abstract
The present article details the data collection behavior of residential staff employed in community-based settings for adults with intellectual disabilities and significant behavioral challenges. The staff members who participated in the study were responsible for collecting behavioral data related to episodes of aggressive behavior that were observed in their residential settings. A descriptive analysis data collection system was in place for each of the residences in the study. Individualized preference assessments were performed with a representative staff member from each of the homes. Once a highly preferred item was identified by the staff person, they were able to earn the item that had been identified contingent upon data collection in the house meeting or exceeding 80% completion of their daily data expectations. The assessment and intervention were examined across all three of the residences in the study via a multiple baseline design with a reversal design embedded within one of the legs of the design. The results demonstrated increases in data collection across each of the residences in the study as the intervention was introduced at each of the sites.
Behavior Analysis in Practice, 2025 · doi:10.1007/s40617-024-00961-x