Behavior Analysis: Research and Practice, Vol 25(3), Aug 2025, 106-118; doi:10.1037/bar0000312
Previous research to address food-related issues with individuals with developmental and intellectual disabilities is extensive and has been shown to be effective. However, previous research shows that most feeding interventions are implemented with children, most participants include those with a diagnosis of autism, most procedures are carried out in highly controlled settings, and despite an increased interest in the use of interventions based on positive reinforcement, escape-extinction procedures are used the most often (Taylor & Taylor, 2023; Tereshko et al., 2021; Williams & Seiverling, 2023). Furthermore, comparison studies based on positive reinforcement are lacking. Thus, the purpose of the current study was to contribute to the growing research on increasing food consumption based on positive reinforcement with shaping and contingent access to positive reinforcers, to compare the differential effects of edible versus tangible reinforcers for food consumption, and to extend previous research by conducting the study in a home-based setting and with an adult with Down syndrome and moderate intellectual disability. The results showed that the procedure was effective for increasing food consumption and contingent access to edible reinforcers resulted in fewer trials to criterion, resulted in a greater level of independence, and required fewer prompts, when compared to tangible reinforcers. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2025 APA, all rights reserved)