EVALUATION OF THE CONTROL OVER REINFORCEMENT COMPONENT IN FUNCTIONAL COMMUNICATION TRAINING

The effectiveness of functional communication training (FCT) as a trea tment for behavior disorders has been attributed to a number of variab les, one of which is the individual's ability to exert control over th e delivery of reinforcement. We evaluated this component of FCT by exp osing individuals to conditions in which their behavior either did or did not affect the delivery of reinforcement. Three adults with mental retardation who engaged in self-injurious behavior (SIE) participated . Following a functional analysis of their SIE, the effects of FCT wer e compared to those of noncontingent reinforcement (NCR) in a multiele ment design. The amount of reinforcement during both conditions was eq uated by yoking the schedule of reinforcement during NCR sessions to t hat in effect during FCT sessions. Results indicated that FCT and NCR were equally effective in reducing the SIE of all participants and sug gest that central over reinforcement delivery may not affect the degre e ro which FCT produces behavioral suppression. However, a different b enefit of FCT was evident in the results: More consistent increases in the alternative response were observed during the FCT condition than during the NCR condition.