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Abstract Simple discrimination reversal procedures have been successful in demonstrating functional equivalence classes in animals. The current study tested whether class expansion could be demonstrated in rats following the formation of functional equivalence classes. Olfactory stimuli were assigned to two arbitrary sets, and rats were trained on a successive simple discrimination task to respond to members of only one set at a time. When discriminated responding emerged, the reinforcement contingencies were reversed. After repeated reversals, probe sessions demonstrated functional equivalence classes in 14 of 15 rats across three experiments. Subsequently, the reversal procedure was used to train functional equivalence between one exemplar from each established class and two novel stimuli. Tests for class expansion, conducted between stimuli in the same set but without a history of training in the same session, were mixed. Experiment 1, which began expansion training after six‐member classes were formed, did not provide clear evidence for class expansion. In Experiments 2 and 3, where expansion training began with smaller classes, class expansion was observed in six of eight rats. Class expansion is a property shared with human equivalence classes, suggesting that the discrimination reversal procedure provides a promising strategy for continuing research on equivalence in animals.

Relatos de sofrimento psicológico são cada vez mais frequentes ao redor de todo o mundo. Abordagens que possam acolher um número maior de indivíduos com menos custo e em menor tempo podem ser vistas como importantes ferramentas para a promoção de saúde mental. A terapia na modalidade grupal é uma dessas possibilidades de intervenção. Contudo, são poucos os estudos que apresentam descrições de terapias grupais baseadas em abordagens contemporâneas. O objetivo deste trabalho é apresentar possibilidades e desa­fios para a construção e manejo de propostas terapêuticas grupais baseadas na Terapia de Aceitação e Compromisso (ACT), desde os comportamentos do próprio terapeuta até os do cliente. Foram descritas orientações para manejo de um grupo ACT, direcionamentos para o terapeuta ACT e maneiras de observar e criar possibilidades para que os integrantes viven­ciem os processos nucleares do modelo de Flexibilidade Psicológica. Sugere-se a produção de novos trabalhos em português que possam abordar com mais robustez a construção de habilidades terapêuticas grupais na perspectiva da ACT.

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ABSTRACT The simultaneous presentation of pictures and text, characteristic of children's picture books, can hinder the development of textual responding in children exhibiting reading deficits. Recent research from our lab found that the arrangement of compound stimulus prompts during picture books resulted in textual control for six participants exhibiting reading deficits and required fewer instructional sessions to reach mastery relative to a typical picture book (i.e., picture prompt) condition for four of the six participants. Although promising, the efficacy of the typical picture book condition was unexpected and may have resulted from certain procedures such as the simultaneous presentation of targets during probes and the assignment of conditions to unique picture books. The current study addressed these limitations by including probes of individual targets and the presentation of both conditions in the same book. The current study found that the compound stimulus prompting condition was effective for all five participants exhibiting reading deficits and the picture prompt condition was effective for three participants. Additional research is needed to further delineate the conditions that can facilitate attending to print and the development of textual control during picture‐book reading experiences.

ABSTRACT Multiple schedules are commonly used to thin the schedule of reinforcement following functional communication training (FCT). Approaches to multiple schedule thinning have included: progressively increasing the duration of the S Δ , rapidly alternating S D and S Δ components, and immediate introduction of fixed‐lean schedules. In this study we (a) further evaluated the efficacy of a fixed‐lean schedule (multiple schedule 60 s/240 s) during multiple schedule thinning and (b) further characterized response patterns during sequential application of schedule thinning approaches. Two of three participants maintained low rates of problem behavior and discriminated mands during the fixed‐lean phase whereas the third participant required a more progressive schedule thinning approach. Results are discussed in terms of relative contributions of different behavioral mechanisms (i.e., extinction, habituation, and stimulus control) and potential predictive factors for responsiveness to schedule thinning procedures.

ABSTRACT The current study was a replication and extension of previous research using a translational evaluation of the traditional isolated FA and SCA. Four participants experienced differential reinforcement for alternative behavior (DRA) based on FA and SCA results, and a concurrent‐chains arrangement was used to evaluate preference for the DRA conditions. Results showed that the isolated FA only identified the trained function. Across participants, DRA resulted in similar decreases in the surrogate destructive behavior across synthesized and isolated conditions and increases in the alternative response. Preferences for synthesized and isolated conditions differed across participants.

Abstract Choice in concurrent schedules is organized in visits to each alternative, and the duration of these visits is exponentially distributed. A model of changeover behavior based on this fact successfully described changeover behavior in two large data sets from published experiments, but some limitations were apparent in this analysis, seemingly reflecting an effect of the passage of time on the data across the lengthy experiments. This article describes an experiment that exposed rats to a dynamic concurrent variable‐interval procedure designed to address these limitations. One of 35 possible combinations of overall and relative reinforcement rates was chosen pseudorandomly at the beginning of each session without signaling the specific combination in effect. By allowing the sensitivity parameter in the generalized matching law to be a function of the overall reinforcement rate, the model provided a satisfactory description of the results. This modification includes free parameters that presumably reflect the effects of how discriminable the alternatives are and how costly it is to switch between them, increasing the scope of the matching law. The updated model holds promise as the foundation for a general theory of performance in concurrent schedules of reinforcement.

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Abstract Multiple schedule treatments are frequently used to thin the reinforcement schedule for functional communication responses (FCR) following functional communication training. Multiple schedules are often highly effective at decreasing FCR rates by establishing stimulus control. In some cases, individuals do not readily discriminate between reinforcement and extinction components. Previous research has shown that receptive and expressive color identification are strongly correlated with discriminated responding in a multiple schedule. In this study, we replicated this research by evaluating how color‐related skills correlate with discriminated responding in a multiple schedule. In addition, using a standardized assessment, we examined the role of receptive and expressive language skills on discriminated responding in a multiple schedule. For our 11 participants, we found that expressive color identification correlated with discriminated responding in a multiple schedule. Furthermore, when we more broadly examined participants' language skills, we found a stronger correlation between language and discriminated responding.