Abstract
We evaluated the effects of several choice-related variables on the work performance of adults with severe handicaps. After assessing client work preferences, three choice-related situations were presented: (a) providing clients with the opportunity to choose a work task, (b) assigning a preferred task, and (c) assigning a nonpreferred task. Results indicated that clients attended to work tasks almost twice as much when they chose their tasks and when assigned to work on preferred tasks versus when assigned to work on nonpreferred tasks. Results are discussed regarding the need to assess systematically the effects of choice-related variables.
Full text
PDF
Selected References
These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.
- Green C. W., Reid D. H., White L. K., Halford R. C., Brittain D. P., Gardner S. M. Identifying reinforcers for persons with profound handicaps: staff opinion versus systematic assessment of preferences. J Appl Behav Anal. 1988 Spring;21(1):31–43. doi: 10.1901/jaba.1988.21-31. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Mithaug D. E., Hanawalt D. A. The validation of procedures to assess prevocational task preferences in retarded adults. J Appl Behav Anal. 1978 Spring;11(1):153–162. doi: 10.1901/jaba.1978.11-153. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Mithaug D. E., Mar D. K. The relation between choosing and working prevocational tasks in two severely retarded young adults. J Appl Behav Anal. 1980 Spring;13(1):177–182. doi: 10.1901/jaba.1980.13-177. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Wacker D. P., Berg W. K., Wiggins B., Muldoon M., Cavanaugh J. Evaluation of reinforcer preferences for profoundly handicapped students. J Appl Behav Anal. 1985 Summer;18(2):173–178. doi: 10.1901/jaba.1985.18-173. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]