The effect of motivating operations on the transfer from tacts to mands for children diagnosed with autism

This study examined the effect of motivating operations (MO) on the emergence of a mand following tact training. Two children with autism were taught to tact a high-preferred (HP) edible identified through a preference assessment. The children were then tested to see if a mand for the HP edible emerged under deprivation (24+ h) and pre-session exposure (immediately prior to the mand test) test conditions. Following tact training, both participants manded for the HP edible in the deprivation condition but little to no responding occurred in the pre-session exposure condition. The results from this study suggest that a tact-to-mand transfer may occur under certain conditions.

► We investigated whether learning to tact would transfer to a mand. ► Deprivation and pre-session exposure to preferred edibles was manipulated. ► Results showed teaching tacts transferred to mands under certain conditions.