Plan now to submit your project for the 2009 CalABA Julie Vargas Student Research Award. Deadline and application will be available soon.

The Julie Vargas Award was created by Dr. Julie Vargas of West Virginia University to promote research by students in behavior analysis. This competitive award of $250 is presented to a CalABA member who has conducted original research in behavior analysis while enrolled as a student and who is not more than one calendar year past graduation. The award will be given at the annual conference, and an abstract of the research will be printed in the CalABA newsletter. (See past recipients below.)

Past Recipients - Congratulations!    (top)

2007
Monica T. Francisco
University of the Pacific

Using Progressive Ratio Schedules as a Means of Evaluating Absolute and Relative Reinforcer Value
We conducted paired-stimulus preference assessments with three children to determine high- and low-preferred edibles, which were associated with arbitrary tasks. Responding was evaluated in reinforcer and progressive ratio (PR) assessments, under concurrent and single operant schedules. Results showed that for two of three participants, low-preferred stimuli functioned as reinforcers when evaluated independently of high-preferred stimuli and under gradually increasing response requirements. Results suggest that when use of high-preferred stimuli is unfeasible, delivery of relatively less-preferred stimuli may maintain appropriate behavior, even as response effort is increased. In addition, results of the PR evaluation are suggestive of stimulus value.

2008
Jennifer Soeda
California State University, Fresno

The Importance of Function in Treatment Selection for Children with Minor Behavior Problems
Although functional assessment procedures have shown considerable value within the field of applied behavior analysis, concerns regarding time and efficacy have hindered their consistent use within schools. This study assessed the comparative effectiveness of function-based versus nonfunction-based interventions for high incidence, low severity behavior problems in four typically developing children. Results via an ABAC research design indicated that interventions based upon a functional behavior assessment were more effective and efficient at reducing off-task behaviors than an intervention which attempted to create a new function for appropriate behavior across all participants. Social validity measures also indicated the functional intervention to be more effective, efficient, and easier to implement.