Superimposed effects of positive reinforcement to negative punishment on the acquisition and maintenance of corresponding self-reports in children

• Grant number: 23/03662-6
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Start date: September 01, 2023
• End date: February 28, 2025
• Field of knowledge: Humanities - Psychology - Experimental Psychology
• Principal Investigator: Mariéle de Cássia Diniz Cortez
• Grantee: Ana Luisa Galharde Tarifa
• Host Institution: Centro de Educação e Ciências Humanas (CECH). Universidade Federal de São Carlos (UFSCAR). São Carlos , SP, Brazil
• Associated research grant: 14/50909-8 - INCT 2014: Behavior, Cognition and Teaching (INCT-ECCE): relational learning and symbolic functioning, AP.TEM

Abstract

Several studies have been evaluating the efficacy of different procedures to promote corresponding reports. In general, the behavioral technology that has been used is called corresponding training, that consists of differential reinforcement for corresponding and non-corresponding reports (positive reinforcement for corresponding reports and extinction of inaccurate reports). This study will evaluate the superimposed effects of positive reinforcement to negative punishment on the acquisition and maintenance of corresponding self-reports in children in an academic task. .Four typically developing children aged 7 to 10 years will participate. "Doing" will consist of reading words presented on the computer screen and "saying" will consist of reporting on the accuracy of performance following the automated computer feedback. A multiple-baseline single-subject design across participants will be used. The baseline will assess correpondence of reports of correct and incorrect responses in a situation with no differential consequences. In the correspondence training condition, corresponding reports will be followed by points presentation (positive reinforcement), while non-corresponding reports will be followed by the withdrawal of points (negative punishment). Follow-up sessions will be then conducted immediately, 15, and 30 days after the end of the training phase. Results will be analyzed in terms of the percentage of corresponding and non-corresponding reports of correct and incorrect responses and the number of sessions required to attain criterion.