The Effect of Abolishing Operations on Mand Acquisition During Functional Communication Training

Previously applied research has shown independent manding is not likely to emerge when functional communication training (FCT) is implemented in conjunction with dense schedules of noncontingent reinforcement (NCR) but does emerge when it is implemented after NCR schedules have been leaned. One interpretation of these data may be that participants are unlikely to acquire mands when functional reinforcers are abolished and that FCT is optimally effective in the presence of relevant establishing operations (EO). However, it is also possible that participants acquire mands during FCT + NCR but only demonstrate learned relations when it becomes necessary to do so, following sufficient exposure to relevant EOs. The purpose of this study was to evaluate whether independent manding would emerge during no-prompt probes (i.e., when therapeutic contingencies were enforced but not trained) following training sessions that exclusively occurred in contexts in which functional consequences were abolished as reinforcers.