Chapter 10: Prompting + Transfer of Stimulus Control

what is prompting?

• presentation of a stimulus before (or during) a behaviour to increase the likelihood of an individual performing the correct behaviour at the correct time.

Sequence of prompting

Sd → prompting → correct behaviour → reinforcement → fading

two categories of prompts

1. Response

2. Stimulus

response prompting + 4 categories

• requires the presence of another person

  • verbal, gestural, physical, modelling

stimulus prompting + 2 categories

• requires a change in the stimulus itself or the environment

  • within stimulus prompting

  • extrastimulus prompting

Verbal

• hints, instructions, commands.

Gestural

• pointing, tapping, nodding.

Modelling

• demonstration of target behaviour → imitating it.

Physical guidance

• Physically assisting the learner

most to least intrusive + which is the preferred method?

• verbal → gestural → modeling → physical guidance

• the preferred method is to use the least intrusive type of prompting; but this doesn’t mean the least intrusive method is the correct method.

3 step prompting

verbal → modelling → physical

Prompts make the ____ more salient and the _____ less salient

Sd; S delta

within stimulus prompting

• changing the Sd itself → making it more salient

  • shape, size, colour, intensity.

  • e.g. making the letter “B” bigger compared to all other letters

extrastimulus prompting

• adding a stimulus to the Sd

  • e.g. circling the letter “B” so that it stands out

3 other types of stimulus prompts (misc.)

1. Auditory

2. Picture

3. Environmental (e.g. changing the seating arrangement in a classroom)

transfer of stimulus control

• gradually decreasing prompting so that the behaviour occurs due to the presence of the Sd alone

  • reinforcement is still used

fading

• gradual decrease in assistance/prompting

what is response prompt fading + two categories

• gradually reducing the assistance provided by another person

  • Within

  • Across prompts

fading within prompt

• same prompt is used— but its intensity/magnitude decreases.

  • e.g. blueberry → blue → b → no verbal prompting needed

fading across prompts

• changing the prompt (based on intrusiveness)

  • most to least

  • least to most

most to least

• physical → modelling → gestural → verbal

• acquiring a skill

least to most

• verbal → gestural → modeling → physical

• used when individual already has learned the skill

graduated guidance

• specific to physical prompting ; gradually reducing physical guidance prompts

  • decreasing pressure/contact

  • spatial

  • shadowing

stimulus prompt fading

• stimulus prompt is decreased in magnitude or frequency

Prompt delay

• present the Sd → wait

  • if target behaviour does not occur, provide the prompt (e.g. present flash card with word on it, wait for person to say the word, if they do not say it in 4 seconds, a verbal prompt is given)

the 7 steps in prompting + stimulus control

1. determine the most appropriate prompting strategy

2. get the learners attention (make the Sd more salient, the S delta less salient)

3. Always present the Sd

4. Prompt the correct response if the Sd does not evoke the behaviour

5. Reinforce the correct behaviour

6. Transfer of stimulus control → Fading

7. Continue to reinforce correct unprompted behaviour

If a person has developmental disabilites/limited abilities use more ______ prompts

• intrusive

errorless learning

• providing just enough assistance so that the learner makes no errors in behaviour

the 4 verbal operants

1. echoic

2. mand

3. intraverbal

4. tact

echoic

• when someone imitates or repeats another person’s verbal response

mand

• request for reinforcer

intraverbal

• a person’s verbal behaviour is evoked by another person’s verbal behaviour

tact

• environmental stimulus evokes a verbal response