The Effects of Self-and Externally-Imposed Schedules of Reinforcement on Oral Reading Performance

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Abstract
The experimental analysis of behavior has frequently utilized single subjects to determine the impact of various rewards, schedules of rewards, situational variables, and other factors that might affect behavior. While these single subject designs have advanced in sophistication, many researchers remain concerned that the findings of such studies may not be broadly applicable. This particular study has two unique features. First, the issue of generality is addressed directly by having eight subjects undergo the experimental treatments. Second, the study investigates the impact of child perferences in either choosing or being assigned a reward schedule on their learning. The findings represent one of the few experimental examples that exists for the widely held notion that different treatment strategies may be more appropriate for some children than others, often termed the subject by treatment interaction.