Study Objectives: Experiment 1 asked whether novel sequences can be generated by substitution training. Experiment 2 investigated the factors promoting transfer of ordinal function. Participants: 30 undergraduates. Procedure: In Experiment 1, after the participants were trained on the 5-item original sequence, they were given substitution training: 1 of the 5 items in the original sequence was replaced by an item in the same position in a novel sequence in turn. Results of Experiment 1: When generation of novel sequences was tested, none of the participants produced a novel sequence. To clarify the possible factors facilitating the transfer of ordinal function, Experiment 2 was conducted. There were 3 conditions: repetitive task condition, repetitive training condition, and novel stimulus pre-presentation condition. Measure: Percentage of sequences produced that were correct. Results of Experiment 2: The participants produced more correct sequences in, in descending order, the repetitive task condition, the novel sequence pre-presentation condition, and repetitive training condition. Conclusion: Ordinal functions do not transfer by simple stimulus substitution, but rather the combinational learning of items and their serial order is important for promoting transfer.

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Study Objectives: Human subjects' preferences between forced-choice and free-choice situations were examined under gain and loss. Setting: An experimental room. Participants: Undergraduate students (18 males, 18 females). Participants were assigned at random to the gain group or the loss group. Procedure: Irrational, Equal, and Rational conditions differed in the number of points acquired or lost in 1 alternative of a free-choice situation. In each condition, participants were exposed to a concurrent-chains schedule, and chose either a forced-choice situation in which only 1 alternative was presented, or a free-choice situation in which 2 alternatives were presented in the terminal links. Based on the participants' choice in each trial, there was a 40% probability that 5, 10, or 15 points would be obtained or lost in the gain and loss groups respectively. In the loss group, participants started with 1000 points. Measure: The index of preference was the percentage of choice of the free-choice situation in the initial link. Results: In both groups, and in all conditions, participants showed significant preferences for the free-choice situation. Conclusion: The results of the present study suggest that obtaining an opportunity to choose in the terminal link functioned as a reinforcer.

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Study Objectives: The present study examined effects of a vertical sign (feedback poster) and marks on the ground (colored tape) on deterrence of illegal parking of bicycles and motorcycles. Design: ABCAABCA design with 8 phases: Baseline 1, intervention 1 (vertical sign only), intervention 2a (vertical sign plus tape on the ground), baseline 2, baseline 3, intervention 3 (only tape on the ground), intervention 2b (tape on the ground plus the vertical sign), and baseline 4. Setting: Sidewalk near a university campus. Participants: People parked illegally. Intervention: A vertical sign (feedback poster) and marks on the ground (colored tape). Measure: Number of illegally parked bicycles and motorcycles. Results: The number of illegally parked bicycles and motorcycles was reduced by a combination of the vertical sign and the tape on the ground. Conclusion: Feedback to illegal parkers and colored tape on the ground was effective for deterring illegal parking. However, more effective methods and effects of large scale interventions should be investigated.

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Study Objectives: Effectiveness of differential reinforcement of alternative behaviors for severe self-injurious behavior was evaluated, using precursor behavior and curricular modification. Design: Multiple-baseline design across settings in the first 2 of 4 experimental phases. Setting: Treatment was conducted in a special class in an elementary school and in a consultation room at a university. Participant: A 9-year-old boy with autistic disorder. Intervention: In phase 1, the content of tasks, including his favorite things, was rearranged, and he could choose the order of his tasks. In phase 2, his teacher informed him when the precursor behavior occurred, and gave him a break. In phase 3, the teacher gave the boy a break if he said, "I need a break." In phase 4, the teacher instructed the boy to knock softly on his desk when he wanted a break. Measures: Occurrences of the problem behavior and the alternative behavior. Results: Occurrences of severe self-injurious behavior decreased, and requests for breaks increased. Conclusion: The results indicate that the treatment using precursor behavior reduced the occurrence of severe self-injurious behavior and promoted alternative behavior.

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Study Objectives: The present study aimed to teach children with autism tacts and approach behavior to listeners in non-training situations at school through the use of simulation training in their class. Design: Baseline, Intervention 1, and Intervention 2. Setting: The simulation training was conducted in a public elementary school during morning class meetings. The non-training situations at the school were as follows: at the beginning and end of the participants' 20-minute recess period, at the beginning and end of their lunch period, and at the time of their arrival in the morning. Participants: The participants were 2 boys with autism, 7 and 10 years old. Intervention: In Intervention 1, during the morning class meetings, the participants were taught a tact and an approach behavior in a situation that simulated the non-training situations. In Intervention 2, an antecedent procedure for increasing approach behavior to listeners that had been used in the tact simulation training was incorporated into the non-training situations. Measures: Occurrence of correct responses and single word tacts, and prompting level of approach behavior. Results: In Intervention 1, tacting increased, but approach behavior did not. In Intervention 2, approach behavior also increased. Conclusion: The results suggest that approach behavior to listeners is important for tacts, and point to the role of simulation training for identification of possibly effective aspects of interventions.

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