ON THE RELATIVE REINFORCING EFFECTS OF CHOICE AND DIFFERENTIAL CONSEQUENCES

Research on the reinforcing effects of providing choice-making opportu nities to individuals with developmental disabilities (i.e., allowing them to choose reinforcers or tasks) has produced inconsistent results , perhaps because the mechanisms underlying such effects remain unclea r. Choice may produce a reinforcement effect because it is correlated with differential consequences (i.e., choice may increase one's access to higher preference stimuli), or it may have reinforcement value ind ependent of (or in addition to) the chosen stimulus. In Experiment 1, we used a concurrent-operants arrangement to assess preference for a c hoice condition (in which participants selected one of two available r einforcers) relative to a no-choice condition (in which the therapist selected the same reinforcers on a yoked schedule). All 3 participants preferred the choice option. In Experiment 2, we altered the schedule s so that the participant selected one of two lower preference reinfor cers in the choice condition, whereas the therapist selected. a higher preference stimulus for the participant either half or all of the tim e in the no-choice condition. Participants typically allowed the thera pist to select reinforcers for them (i.e., they allocated responding t o the no-choice condition) when it resulted in greater access to highe r preference stimuli.