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The extensive use of reinforcement programs in applied settings has led to experimentation that often fails to consider potential problems in design. The logic of the within‐subject design is reviewed and specific designs employed in reinforcement programs are discussed. For each design (ABAB, or multiple‐baseline design across behaviors, individuals, or situations), effects are discussed that make that design less powerful with respect to demonstrating the effect of the experimental variable. Problems in interpreting results of experiments in this area of inquiry are evaluated from the standpoint of internal and external validity. The issue of control groups is presented with considerations as to situations that require their use. Finally, the assessment strategy for evaluating operant programs is discussed and recommendations are made for measurement of behaviors in addition to the target response.

Subjects were asked to read a passage orally and then to answer questions about the passage. When praise and pennies were given for correct answers, the percentage of correct answers increased in two sixth‐grade subjects whose reading for comprehension was tested to be 2 yr below grade level. The behavior of these subjects was compared to that of two subjects whose reading for comprehension was tested to be on grade level. Although no evidence for changes in the accuracy of answering comprehension questions is found in the previous literature, the percentage of correct answers in the children with deficits increased to approximately the same level as the children tested to be on grade level.

Four chronic mental patients, residents of a token economy treatment unit, were randomly assigned to an experimental or control condition and attended 10 thirty‐minute treatment sessions. For the two experimental subjects, contingent reinforcement was received for interacting with each other according to instructions in four distinct phases of interpersonal behavior: talking to another person, attending and talking to another person, asking and answering questions in a dyad, and working cooperatively in the dyad to solve problems. The two control subjects were instructed to perform the same behaviors but received non‐contingent reinforcement. The results indicated a strong contingent reinforcement effect on the performance of the treatment sessions' target behaviors. Several baseline, treatment, and post‐treatment response measures indicated that the treatment effects had generalized to other areas of social behavior away from the treatment setting.

Vibration of the walls of the nasal cavities during production of an English vowel or diphthong defined a hypernasal response. A crystal transducer on one side of the nose activated a voice‐operated relay when vibration exceeded an arbitrary limit to provide an apparatus definition of the response. During training sessions, responses without nasal vibration turned on a white light in the sound‐treated chamber. Subject 1 had a repaired cleft palate and mild hypernasal speech. Introduction of the differential feedback, reversal, and reinstatement of the feedback conditions resulted in a rapid decrease, increase, and decrease in percentage of nasalized productions of the /eI/ sound Subject 2 had a cleft of the soft palate and severe hypernasal speech. Introduction of feedback produced a gradual decline in the percentage of hypernasal productions of the sound over 22 sessions. Removal and reinstatement of feedback resulted in a rapid increase and decrease respectively in the percentage of nasalized responses.

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The present research experimentally evaluated a “naturalistic” treatment program for an autistic child administered by the parents over a 2‐yr period. Operant reinforcement techniques previously developed and tested in laboratory settings were initially assessed in a clinic and eventually in the family's home. Experimental manipulations were performed in both settings on rituals, crying and whining, compliance, non‐verbal imitation, and verbal imitation. The results clearly indicated that parents can effectively treat autistic behaviors provided that they receive adequate training and supervision in operant reinforcement therapy, and provided that sufficiently potent reinforcers are available to maintain behavior.

Four pigeons were trained to avoid shock by pecking a key on a free‐operant avoidance schedule in which no exteroceptive stimulus signalled impending shock. Response rate was an inverse function of response‐shock interval when shock‐shock interval was held constant at 2 sec and response‐shock intervals varied from 5 to 40 sec. Amphetamine increased response rates in two subjects and reserpine markedly reduced responding in one.