2026 Theses Doctoral

The Effects of Varying Performance-Criteria Frequency Values on the Response Maintenance with Preschool Students

Virk, Maninder

In two experiments, I investigated the effects of varying criterion-level frequency values on the rate of acquisition and maintenance of responses. The independent variable was the criterion-level frequency, where instruction was delivered until behavior was observed at a 100% level of accuracy across 1, 2, or 3 consecutive sessions. Maintenance was measured during 2- and 4-week follow-up sessions.

In Experiment 1, I investigated three criterion-level frequency conditions on the acquisition and maintenance of listener responses (point to) of four preschool students using a set analysis method of teaching (criterion applied to the aggregate accuracy in a session). Experiment 1 resulted in differentiated levels of maintenance at the individual level during follow-up sessions across the frequency conditions. The 100% accuracy across 3 consecutive sessions (frequency-3) condition resulted in an average overall higher percentage of operants maintained.

In Experiment 2, I investigated the three frequency conditions with speaker responses (tact) taught to four preschool students using an operant analysis method (criteria applied to individual behaviors). The results demonstrated that the frequency-3 condition demonstrated a higher level of maintenance across all four participants. The researchers further examined the role of underlying behavioral principles (e.g., behavioral history) and how the three different frequency conditions affected the response maintenance based on the number of reinforcement opportunities delivered within each condition.

In Experiment 1, the results demonstrated that higher number of reinforcement opportunities delivered correlated with higher a percentage of operants maintained for each condition for 3 of the 4 participants. In Experiment 2, the researchers found that behaviors with longer reinforcement history resulted in a stronger demonstration of stimulus control thus, higher percentage of operants maintained during response maintenance sessions for all four participants. The researchers discuss the discrepancies between results in Experiment 1 and 2 due to set analysis and operant analysis method of applying performance criteria as well as the response topography taught. The researchers discuss future implications and other variables such as the student’s learning ability, reinforcement history, and stimulus control that may affect the response maintenance.

Keywords: behavioral history, criterion level, maintenance, operant analysis, performance criteria, persistence, stimulus control