A Brief Evaluation of a Pictorially Enhanced Self-Instruction Packet on Participant Fidelity across Multiple ABA Procedures

Abstract

Enhanced self-instructions have been previously shown to lead to high levels of training protocol fidelity by lower level staff applying applied behavior analysis (ABA) protocols. An A-B replication series design across participants was used to gather preliminary evidence on the breadth of benefit of this approach to staff training, considered across common training tasks. Participants (N = 14) with no previous background in ABA learned how to conduct either two preference assessments (paired stimulus and multiple stimulus without replacement) or two acquisition discrete trial programs (match to sample and motor imitation) under two different self-instruction conditions. Procedures were trained using textual information only (i.e., standard packet) or textual information enhanced with visual cues (i.e., enhanced packet). Eight of the participants received a standard packet followed by an enhanced packet; six received them in reverse order. Each sequence was replicated within participants across the two tasks. No follow-up feedback or training was provided during either condition so as not to contaminate assessment of the effects of these self-instructions on procedural fidelity. Results showed that participants achieved near-mastery levels of performance under the enhanced packet condition. Seven of the eight participants who received the standard packet first improved in fidelity after receiving the enhanced packet. Where there was some evidence of maintenance of gains in some participants of new tasks trained again with the standard packet, reintroduction of the enhanced packet led to high fidelity in all cases. It appears that previous experimental findings showing the benefit of enhanced self-instructional training on the procedural fidelity of lower level training staff apply across a wide range of common ABA tasks.