Evaluation of conditional discrimination skills and establishment of identity matching using within-stimulus prompts while ensuring motivation

Abstract

Many variables can affect whether a student is able to establish a particular skill or not. One skill frequently taught in special education classes is matching-to-sample. Variables that can affect learning can be, for example, the type of consequences presented during training, the stimulus material used, whether there is an observing response requirement, and the value of the consequence. An experiment was conducted to evaluate conditions for the establishment of conditional discrimination in an individual with developmental disability and autism. The experiment included two phases: (1) the pre-test phase, and (2) a conditional discrimination training phase. The first phase was conducted table-top and the second phase was conducted on an iPad. The pre-test was used to identify potential skill deficits by systematically exploring the participant's responses on different (a) identity and (b) arbitrary matching-to-sample tests. The results from the pre-test showed accurate responses on identity matching with color stimuli, but not identity matching with numbers or arbitrary matching written-picture-auditory (visual-visual, auditory-visual, visual-auditory). The participant did not respond correctly when presented with identity matching (color stimuli) on the iPad so the within-stimulus prompt procedure for the establishment of conditional discriminations was used. The results indicated that with gradual changes in stimulus prompts the participants started to respond correctly. However, the participant still responded incorrectly when the stimuli went back to their original form. A potential next step in training is discussed.