Study objective: The purpose of the present study was to investigate the effect of common naming on the establishment of stimulus equivalence between arbitrary stimuli. Procedure: Experiment 1:5 participants received naming training; 5 did not. Then all participants received the same matching-to-sample training, and were tested by delayed matching-to-sample. During the delay intervals, those in the naming group named sample stimuli; those in the other group read irrelevant sentences aloud. Experiment 2:6 participants received the same naming and matching-to-sample training as in the naming group in Experiment 1, but were given the same tests as the control group of Experiment 1. Results: 3 of 5 participants in the naming group in Experiment 1 who succeeded in common naming during each test were able to establish stimulus equivalence without any nodal distance effects. In contrast, the participants in both experiments who failed in common naming, or had to read irrelevant sentences, did not establish any stimulus equivalence and had some nodal distance effects. Conclusion: common naming during tests can facilitate the establishment of stimulus equivalence.

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Study objective: The purpose of this study was to establish self-instructional control by differential reinforcement of novel chains of self-instruction and nonverbal behavior. Design: 3 conditions were compared: a verbal-nonverbal noncorrespondence history condition, a verbal-nonverbal correspondence history condition, and a no-history condition. Setting: An experimental room. Participants: Undergraduates (8 males, 15 females; 18-27 years old) with no prior experience with experiments on reinforcement schedules. Procedure: 5 participants in Experiment 1, and 4 in Experiment 2, all of whom were in the verbal-nonverbal noncorrespondence history condition, were exposed to an FR schedule when they had chosen an instruction to respond slowly, and a DRL schedule when they had chosen an instruction to respond rapidly. Following this, an FI schedule was in effect regardless of the instruction chosen. Results: For these 9 participants, response rates during the FI schedule were higher when the instruction to respond slowly had been chosen than when the instruction to respond rapidly had been chosen. Such control by self-instruction was not observed for participants who did not have a history of differential reinforcement of verbal-nonverbal noncorrespondence in this setting. Conclusion: The results suggest that self-instructional control can be classified as a response chain.

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Study objective: Study objective: To evaluate the effects of the introduction of warning signs and reinforcers to reduce inappropriate parking of bicycles and motorcycles near/on Braille sidewalks (sidewalks with imbedded Braille indications) near buildings on a university campus in Japan. Design: A multiple baseline design across 5 settings was used. Settings: 5 areas around Braille sidewalks on the campus. Participants: 1,482 riders parking near/on those Braille sidewalks. Intervention: signs indicating "PARKING BICYCLES & MOTORCYCLES NEAR/ON BRAILLE SIDEWALKS FORBIDDEN", data on the average number of vehicles inappropriately parked each week, and feedback on change in inappropriate parking. Results: After signs were introduced in the 5 areas, a reduction in the average number of inappropriately parked vehicles was observed in 4 of the 5 areas. A small increase was observed in the other area. Data on social validity indicated that students and staff of the university realized that an attempt was being made to reduce inappropriate parking. Conclusion: The signs contributed toward reducing inappropriate parking in 4 of 5 areas. The results are discussed in terms of environmental adjustment, as well as possibly more effective interventions.

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The present article describes the construction of an inexpensive universal feeder. AC motors are fastened to a brush and a circular Plexiglas panel. Rotation of the brush, which is fixed above the panel, sweeps a reinforcer off the panel. After the reinforcer is delivered, the panel rotates a set distance in order to prepare for delivery of the next reinforcer. Sensors stop the rotation of the brush and the panel. Although this feeder requires more signals of a parallel input/output board than other universal feeders, it is easier to construct because of its simplicity.

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