Abstracts Psychology

A group operant application of the premack principle in the modification of verbal development

by Mel Gallen

Group operants and the premack principle were systematically applied in an attempt to modify the verbal language development of twelve male children with behavior problems and special learning difficulties. All twelve children were initially administered the Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test and five subtests of the Illinois Test of Psycholinguistic Abilities. The children were subsequently divided into two experimental groups and a control group. A free operant period was made available to the eight experimental Ss. Twenty high probability behaviors were obtained. The highest and lowest five behaviors were used in constructing two reinforcement menus. On the first experimental session, a lesson activity was presented for a five minute period. Upon completing the test and completing the criterion of paying attention and participating, the children were allowed to pick whatever they wanted for four minutes. Lessons were taken from the Peabody Language Development Kit. On each successive experimental session the length the length of the task was increased five minutes. By the tenth and last session the children were working fifty minutes for a four minute reinforcement period. In this manner, the experimenter ???instructor was able to gradually shape larger and larger amounts of work to be accomplished before making available the reinforcement menu .On the last session, the experimental Ss as well as the control group were administered post tests. (See more in text.)