Date of Graduation
Summer 2019
Degree
Master of Science in Applied Behavior Analysis
Department
Psychology
Committee Chair
Wayne D. Mitchell
Abstract
In a token economy level system, as an individual progresses from one task level to the next, there is an increase in the demand of tasks and an increase in the magnitude of reinforcers earned. The motivation for the individual in level systems stems from the increasing of value of reinforcers earned at each level. In this study a level system in concordance with an extinction procedure for aggressive behaviors was employed as a behavioral intervention. In this single-subject design study, a 5-year-old boy with autism was observed across a variety of 15 minute teaching sessions, implementing synchronously, the reinforcement for task compliant behaviors and extinction for aggressive behavior. Based upon a prior behavioral function analysis, it was hypothesized that, as a function of the intervention, compliance behaviors would increase, and the frequency of aggressive behaviors will decrease. Overall, the intervention was a success. On-task compliance behaviors increased, response latency for on-task behaviors were faster, and aggressive behaviors decreased to 0 levels. These results are further evidence of theoretical and practical importance for the use of a token economy level system.
Keywords
levels system, token economy, autism, applied behavior analysis, extinction, aggression, task compliance
Subject Categories
Applied Behavior Analysis
Copyright
© Savanna A. Chojnacki
Recommended Citation
Chojnacki, Savanna A., "The Use of an Individualized Levels System and Extinction to Increase Task Compliance and to Decrease Aggressive Behavior with a Child with Autism" (2019). MSU Graduate Theses. 3421.
https://bearworks.missouristate.edu/theses/3421
