Evaluating Preference and Performance in Accumulated versus Distributed Response-Reinforcer Arrangements

To determine the effects of response-reinforcer arrangements on task performance and preference, participants completed tasks on accumulated and distributed response-reinforcer arrangements. Three males diagnosed with an autism spectrum disorder completed tasks before receiving 5-min or 30-seconds access to a preferred stimulus. To enhance discrimination between the two arrangements, color-coded token boards were used to represent each arrangement. Responding was evaluated within a multielement design to compare the response rate across conditions for each participant. A preference assessment was conducted after the comparison to determine whether a preference for one of the arrangements emerged. All participants produced a higher rate of responding in the accumulated schedule of reinforcement.