Skip to main content
Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis logoLink to Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis
. 2003 Fall;36(3):349–353. doi: 10.1901/jaba.2003.36-349

The use of an escape contingency and a token economy to increase food acceptance.

SungWoo Kahng 1, James H Boscoe 1, Shannon Byrne 1
PMCID: PMC1284448  PMID: 14596575

Abstract

Escape (termination of a meal) and token-based differential reinforcement of alternative behavior were used as reinforcement to increase acceptance of food. Using a changing criterion design, the number of bites accepted and consumed was gradually increased to 15 bites per meal. These data suggest that, in some cases, escape may be a potent reinforcer for food acceptance.

Full Text

The Full Text of this article is available as a PDF (76.1 KB).

Selected References

These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.

  1. Coe D. A., Babbitt R. L., Williams K. E., Hajimihalis C., Snyder A. M., Ballard C., Efron L. A. Use of extinction and reinforcement to increase food consumption and reduce expulsion. J Appl Behav Anal. 1997 Fall;30(3):581–583. doi: 10.1901/jaba.1997.30-581. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  2. Iwata B. A., Pace G. M., Dorsey M. F., Zarcone J. R., Vollmer T. R., Smith R. G., Rodgers T. A., Lerman D. C., Shore B. A., Mazalesk J. L. The functions of self-injurious behavior: an experimental-epidemiological analysis. J Appl Behav Anal. 1994 Summer;27(2):215–240. doi: 10.1901/jaba.1994.27-215. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  3. Kitfield E. B., Masalsky C. J. Negative reinforcement-based treatment to increase food intake. Behav Modif. 2000 Sep;24(4):600–608. doi: 10.1177/0145445500244007. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  4. Munk D. D., Repp A. C. Behavioral assessment of feeding problems of individuals with severe disabilities. J Appl Behav Anal. 1994 Summer;27(2):241–250. doi: 10.1901/jaba.1994.27-241. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  5. Patel Meeta R., Piazza Cathleen C., Martinez Cheryl J., Volkert Valerie M., Christine M. Santana. An evaluation of two differential reinforcement procedures with escape extinction to treat food refusal. J Appl Behav Anal. 2002 Winter;35(4):363–374. doi: 10.1901/jaba.2002.35-363. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

Articles from Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis are provided here courtesy of Society for the Experimental Analysis of Behavior

RESOURCES