Date of Award
5-2025
Document Type
Dissertation
Degree Name
Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)
Department
Behavioral Analysis
First Advisor
David A. Wilder
Second Advisor
Jonathan K. Fernand
Third Advisor
Kimberly N. Sloman
Fourth Advisor
Vida L. Tyc
Abstract
Food selectivity involves avoiding certain foods based on type, texture, brand, smell, temperature, or presentation, and it affects 80% of children with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Although several antecedent-based and consequence-based behavioral interventions exist to increase acceptance and consumption of food in this population, one antecedent-based intervention that has shown promise both within and outside of a feeding context is the high-probability instructional sequence, which consists of the delivery of three high-probability instructions before delivery of a low-probability instruction. The high-probability sequence is used to increase compliance with instructions that have a low probability of completion (e.g., taking a bite of a non-preferred food). Several parameters (e.g., topography of instructions) of the high-p sequence have been studied. One parameter that has not yet been studied is whether the level of aversiveness of the terminal demand affects the efficacy of the high-p sequence. That is, the high-p sequence may be less effective with lower preference terminal demands. In this study, we evaluated the utility of the high-p sequence to increase bite acceptance among children who exhibit food refusal. Preference for the bite in the terminal demand varied (low aversive, medium aversive, high aversive). Results show that the high-p sequence was effective to increase bite acceptance and consumption across all levels of demand aversiveness for one participant. For a second participant, the high-p sequence was effective to increase bite acceptance but not consumption for all three levels of demand aversiveness. For a third participant, the high-p sequence was not effective for any levels of demand aversiveness; escape extinction, differential reinforcement, and noncontingent reinforcement were necessary to increase acceptance and consumption. The results are discussed in terms of practical recommendations to decrease food selectivity.
Recommended Citation
Sheppard, Christina Marie, "The Effect of Food Preference on the Efficacy of the High-probability Instructional Sequence to Treat Food Selectivity" (2025). Theses and Dissertations. 1568.
https://repository.fit.edu/etd/1568
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