A component analysis of schedule thinning during functional communication training

Area of Science:

• Behavior Analysis
• Applied Behavior Analysis
• Human Behavior

Background:

• Functional Communication Training (FCT) is effective but can lead to high rates of functional communication responses (FCRs).
• Interventions involving multiple schedules and extinction components aim to reduce FCR rates.
• The specific contributions of different components within these interventions are not fully understood.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the effectiveness of multiple schedules in reducing FCR rates.
• To evaluate the impact of schedule thinning on FCR and problem behavior.
• To disentangle the effects of different components of FCT modification strategies.

Main Methods:

• Compared FCR and problem behavior rates under mixed and multiple schedules.
• Rapidly transitioned from dense to lean multiple schedules without gradual thinning.
• Assessed the impact of schedule manipulation on response rates.

Main Results:

• Multiple schedules decreased the overall rate of reinforcement for FCRs.
• The strength of the FCR was maintained.
• Low rates of problem behavior were observed.
• Gradual thinning of the reinforcement schedule was not necessary.

Conclusions:

• Multiple schedules are effective in reducing excessive FCRs in FCT.
• Maintaining FCR strength and low problem behavior is possible without gradual schedule thinning.
• These findings offer practical implications for optimizing FCT interventions.