ABSTRACTThis study aimed to assess the utility of a brief micro‐break intervention applied during in‐person lectures for a behavior‐analytic postgraduate course. Micro‐breaks were offered on a fixed‐time 20‐min schedule and compared with “lectures as usual” within one postgraduate course, using an ABAC withdrawal design. Observational data were collected on student engagement, using a rotating momentary time sampling measurement system. Student self‐report data were also collected, including student rankings of preference for different break schedules. Findings suggest that the provision of small, frequent breaks within in‐person university teaching may increase student engagement, alongside improving verbal reports of stress, fatigue, and focus. This preliminary application of a micro‐break intervention to academic instruction is discussed in reference to the utility of this approach, and further avenues for research to demonstrate the applicability and generalizability of this teaching intervention.

ABSTRACTThere is limited research on teaching non‐visual tacts (e.g., auditory, olfactory, tactile) to children with autism spectrum disorder. In the current study, children diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder were taught to tact tactile stimuli in a compound condition (i.e., tactile stimuli presented with visual cues), with probes in an isolated condition (i.e., tactile stimuli presented without visual cues) in a multiple probe design across sets. Results showed that the compound teaching condition was effective in teaching tacts of tactile stimuli for all three participants. Additionally, generalization occurred during the isolated probes for all three participants. This study contributes to the literature on teaching tacts of non‐visual stimuli to children with autism spectrum disorder.

ABSTRACTHaptic feedback involves the delivery of a vibratory stimulus contingent upon a behavior targeted for increase or decrease. Among other applications, it has been used to prompt initiation of social interactions and increase on‐task time in children with disabilities. In the current study, we used a combination reversal and nonconcurrent multiple baseline design to evaluate haptic feedback delivered via a bracelet to reduce toe walking exhibited by an adolescent with autism and a typically developing young adult. The feedback was effective to reduce toe walking to low levels. In addition, participants reported that the bracelet was helpful to improve their gait. Participants also noted that they would be willing to wear the bracelet outside of research sessions. We discuss the possible behavioral mechanisms responsible for the effects of the haptic feedback and provide directions for future research.

ABSTRACTThe high‐probability instructional sequence (HPIS) is a widely used behavior analytical intervention comprising multiple components and procedural variations; therefore, identifying the key elements contributing to its efficacy is crucial. Twenty articles published between 2010 and 2022 met our inclusion criteria. We quantified the association between HPIS procedural variations and the intervention's efficacy. Across the studies included in this review, HPIS was associated with a moderately large effect or a large effect and deemed as effective for at least 60% of the data sets when (a) during the compliance assessment, compliance was exposed to appetitive consequences, (b) during the HPIS evaluation, the same combination of stimuli (e.g., edible and praise; tactile stimulus and praise) was delivered contingent on compliance with the high‐p and low‐p, and (c) during the HPIS evaluation different consequences were provided for compliance with the low‐p and high‐p and combined stimuli were presented as a reinforcer following compliance to low‐p (i.e., praise for compliance with the high‐p and praise and tactile stimulus for compliance with the low‐p). The associations identified in this review can guide the design and implementation of HPIS in applied settings. Additionally, the results highlight the need for additional empirical evaluations of isolated and combined components of HPIS to determine their relative contribution to the intervention efficacy and to determine the generality of the results of previous studies.

ABSTRACTAlthough response blocking is widely used in the clinical treatment of problem behavior, research on the isolated effects of blocking is limited. Prior research has demonstrated the reductive effects of blocking by way of punishment or extinction. Contingent response blocking also has the potential to have a reinforcing effect or no effect on the blocked response. The purpose of the current study was to pilot a brief assessment designed to evaluate behavioral sensitivity to response blocking in the context of clinical practice. To address the challenges associated with assessing the effects of blocking on well‐established problem behaviors, arbitrary responses were used. Results suggest that response blocking may have more disparate effects on responding than have previously been reported. Within‐session analyses indicated that response blocking produced increases, decreases, and inconsistent effects on responding across participants. Clinical implications of these findings and avenues for future research on response blocking are outlined.

ABSTRACTJohnston, Pennypacker, and Green's Strategies and Tactics of Behavioral Research and Practice (4th edition) is an updated edition of a classic behavior analytic research methods text. In this review, we describe the organization, features, and content of the fourth edition. We also offer some suggestions for instructors considering using the text. We conclude by noting that the fourth edition of Strategies and Tactics of Behavioral Research and Practice is an excellent choice for a behavior analytic class in research methods, single case design, or measurement. With an enhanced focus on practice, this edition is also a great resource for clinicians when evaluating the effects of their interventions.

No abstract is available for this article.

ABSTRACTSpecial education teachers are asked to deliver high‐quality instruction with compassion and care. Emerging literature suggests that the skills of “behavioral artistry” are socially valid among caregivers of children with developmental disabilities, but the training of these skills in teachers has yet to be developed and evaluated. This study extended work by Bukszpan et al. (2023, https://doi.org/10.1002/bin.1963) by assessing the effectiveness of the teaching interaction procedure (TIP) in training skills of behavioral artistry to six special education teachers. The results demonstrated that skills of behavioral artistry could be taught and maintained through the utilization of TIP, which extended previous research on this topic. Further, assessments of social validity rated the intervention and dependent variable highly favorable among participants as well as caretakers of school age children.