The Differential Outcomes Effect: Teaching Verbal Operants
Michelle Olson, M.S, Mark Harvey, Ph.D, BCBAAnsley Hodges, M.S., BCBA, Eb Blakely, Ph.D, BCBA-D
Florida Institute of Technology and QuestKids
Typical Procedure
Differential Outcomes Procedure
Different reinforcers in a discrimination task, correlated with each kind of response
Increase rate of acquisition and/or maintain higher steady state performance
Differential Outcomes Effect
Lab Studies With Nonhumans:Variety of discrimination Paradigms
Two Choice Discrimination Experiments
Two-Choice Procedure: Correlated Outcomes
Light
Light
Two-Choice Control Procedure:Uncorrelated Outcomes
Light
Light
Two-Choice Control Procedure:Confound????
1. Two reinforcers2. Correlated outcomes
Food Food Food Water
DOETypical
Human Application: Correlated Outcomes
Human Application:Uncorrelated Outcomes
• Two boys with autism – 8 and 5 years old• QuestKids Academy –
Experiment 1: Extension to Verbal Operants
Experiment 1 Design
• Alternating Treatments
• Dependent Variable:– % correct of intraverbal responses
• Independent Variable:– Correlated vs. Uncorrelated outcomes
Baseline Procedure
General Treatment Procedure
Intraverbal Tasks
Correlated Task
Uncorrelated Task
Video
• Show video Clip
Santi: Intraverbals
Correlated Task
Uncorrelated Task
Results Experiment 1: Santi
Josh: Intraverbals
Correlated Task
Uncorrelated Task
Results Experiment 1: Josh
Decreased # experimenters
Experiment 2: Extension to Intraverbals and
Tacts • Two different boys with autism both
8 years old• QuestKids Academy –
Experiment 2
• Design:– Alternating Treatments– Multiple baseline across verbal operants
• Dependent Variable:– % correct responses– Note: 100% and 97%, IOA respectively
• Independent Variable:– Correlated vs. Uncorrelated outcomes
Caliel: Tacts
Correlated Task
Uncorrelated Task
Caliel: Intraverbals
Correlated Task
Uncorrelated Task
ResultsExperiment 2: Caliel
Austin: Tacts
Correlated Task
Uncorrelated Task
Austin: Intraverbals
Correlated Task
Uncorrelated Task
ResultsExperiment 2: Austin
Discussion of Austin
Why was uncorrelated more effective?
Correlated Task
Summary of Results
Participant Intraverbal (DOE)
Tact (DOE)
Santi
Josh
Caliel x
Austin x x
Discussion
• DOE procedure has promise in teaching verbal operants, especially intraverbals
• Task difficulty critical element
• Use when traditional procedures don’t work
Discussion
–Future Directions• Intraverbals replications • Recall / Comprehension (DTMS)• Different ages / abilities
Differential Outcomes Differential Outcomes EffectEffect
Match-to-Sample
Traditional Discrimination Traditional Discrimination TrainingTraining
Assay: Match-to-sample
Sample stimulus
Choice stimuli
Food Food
DOE ProcedureDOE Procedure
Sample stimulus
Food Drink
DOE ProcedureDOE Procedure
Sample stimulus
Food Drink
DOE Control DOE Control ProceduresProcedures
Sample stimulus
.5 Food/.5 Drink
.5 Food/.5 Drink
Uncorrelated
Sample stimulus
Food Drink
Correlated
DOE Procedure: DOE Procedure: ApplicationApplication
A B
SD: “Point to A”
Candy Soda
SD: “Point to B”
Academic Tasks
DOE Procedure: DOE Procedure: ApplicationApplication
“Sandwich”
“My friend Will”
SD: “What did you just eat?”
Candy Soda
SD: “Who did you just talk to?”
Recall Tasks
ExercisesExercises
The DOE is an effect in which different The DOE is an effect in which different _________ are used for different ________ in a _________ are used for different ________ in a discrimination task.discrimination task.
What is the proper control procedure in a What is the proper control procedure in a DOE study?DOE study?
Pick a task that you are teaching, and Pick a task that you are teaching, and design a DOE procedure for it.design a DOE procedure for it.