Title: Imitation -Chap 18 Baer
1Imitation -Chap 18Baer DeGuchi, 1985Poulson,
Et al., 2002
2Definition of Imitation
- A model stimulus is presented in an effort to
evoke the imitative behavior - The imitative behavior follows immediately
- The model and behavior must have formal
similarity - The model must serve as a controlling variable
for the imitative behavior (SD)
3Definition of Generalized Imitation
- Imitation no supported directly by environmental
contingencies
4Generalized Imitations
- are maintained by reinforcing similar imitations
and not maintained if this doesnt happen - persist despite never being reinforced.
- Increase in accuracy when other similar
imitations are reinforced.
5Important Because.
- Critical for the development of socialization
- Used as a teaching technique
6Types of Models
- Planned models
- Pre-arranged antecedent stimuli that help
learners acquire new skills - Shows the learner exactly what to do
- Unplanned models
- Occur in everyday social interactions
7Types of Models
- Actual
- In-vivo
- Symbolic
- Books or video
8Formal Similarity
- The model and the behavior physically resemble
each other
9Immediacy
- The temporal relation between the model and the
occurrence of the imitative behavior is very
important - Imitation may also occur at later times and in
the context of everyday life situations - However, when this occurs in the absence of a
model, it is not imitation - The discriminative features of the environment
are different in this context (i.e., the model is
not controlling the behavior)
10Controlled Relation
- The controlling relation between the model and
the imitative behavior is paramount - This is best evidenced when the model is novel
and it still evokes an imitative response what
is this called?
11Theories of Generalized Imitation
- Develop as a result of intermittent reinforcement
schedules - You always reinforce some imitations (
) and never reinforce others ( ) - What type of schedule is this?
- This schedule typically produces discrimination
so does not seem to be a very plausible
explanation.
12Theories of Generalized Imitation
- Conditional Discriminative Stimuli
- Modeling stimuli
- Instruction-Following Behavior as a Response
Class - Do what I do
- Neither of these can explain the initial
generalization of responses without shaping and
reinror0cement
13Imitation Response or Stimulus Class? BOTH
- Although initially a stimulus class restricted to
topography (not the case later on) - E.g., unlikely to get vocal imitation when
teaching motor imitation - significance
- Later on, it is a response class maintained by a
conditioned reinforcer? - do what I do
14Imitation Training
- Some children with disabilities require
instruction in order to learn to imitate - Objective to teach children to do what the
model does - Whats this called?
15Steps to Imitation Training(Striefel, 1974)
- Assess and teach any prerequisite skills for
imitation training - Select models for training
- Pretest
- Sequence models for training
- Perform imitation training
16Assessing/Teaching Prerequisite Skills
- Prerequisite skills needed
- ATTENDING!!!!
- staying seated, keeping hands in lap, looking at
teacher when name is called, looking at objects
when prompted by teacher - Problem behaviors that may interfere with
training may need to be decreased
17Selecting Models for Training
- Begin with selecting about 25
- Include gross and fine motor examples
- Movement of body parts
- Manipulation of physical objects
- Use only one at a time
- dont sequence them--save sequences for later
18Pretesting
- Purpose to determine if individual already
imitates some models - Procedures
- Get learner in ready position
- If object to be used, please it in front of
individual - Say do this (why not call their name?)
- Present the model
- How should models be presented?
- Immediately praise all responses with formal
similarity to the model - Record learners response as correct or incorrect
19Sequencing the Selected Models for Training
- Arrange from easiest to most difficult
- First models for training are ones the individual
imitated correctly on some, but not all, pretest
items - Next, teach ones the learner approximated but did
incorrectly on pretest - Finally, teach items the learner did not perform
or performed incorrectly on pretest
20Additional Considerations of Selected Models for
Training
- What else should you consider when selecting
models for your teaching sets?
21Assessment of Trained Models
- Data collection
- Purpose evaluate learners current performance
level and determine progress in learning to
respond to model - Brief pretest prior to each training session or
weekly - Make sure you have separate teaching and testing
conditions - Decide how many trials per model
- Considerations?
- Criterion?
- Remember data are collected in the absence of
teaching conditions
22Generalization
- How have you programmed for imitative behavior?
- Assessment of generalized repertoire of
imitative behavior - Select 3-5 non-trained, novel models to check for
occurrence of imitation - Take data on novel items each time you take data
on acquisition of trained models - Remember data are collected in the absence of
teaching procedures - No reinforcement or prompting strategies.
23Performing Imitation Training
- Training
- Begin by teaching 1 of the 3 models in your set
- Start with the model most often responded to or
responded to with closest similarity during
pre-assessment or data collection - Intersperse the target model with a mastered
response - How do you select the mastered response?
24Performing Imitation Training
- Training
- Response prompts
- Use manual guidance if necessary to prompt the
response - Verbal prompts spoken or written
- Stimulus prompts
- Highlight relevant stimulus dimensions
- Gradually fade prompts as quickly as possible
- Using what type of fading procedure?
- Continue until learner responds correctly once
why not repeatedly? - Either end session or introduce new model
25Guidelines for Imitation Training
- Keep training sessions active and short
- 10-15 minutes, a couple times a day
- Stay in session until learner shows progress
- Use a quick pace with short ITI
- Reinforce both prompted and imitative responses
at first, eventually only reinforce independent
responses - What is this called???
- Pair verbal praise and attention with tangible
reinforcers
26Guidelines for Imitation Training
- If progress breaks down, back up and move ahead
slowly - Prompts may have been faded too quickly
- Reinforcers may no longer be potent
- Attending may have decreased
- Keep a record
- Decide when to terminate imitation training
- When the learner has a generalized repertoire of
imitation - When the learner can imitate a sequence of
behavior - When the learner can imitate verbal items
27Considerations
- Imitation is the most efficient way to acquire
new behavior - Teaching imitation is quick and requires little
effort from the teacher or student as opposed to
shaping and chaining - Model what you want your students to imitate
- Differentially reinforce imitation to decrease
the probability of students imitating the wrong
models - I dont want my student around that child who
screams!!!