TY - JOUR
T1 - Voucher-based reinforcement of attendance by unemployed methadone patients in a job skills training program
AU - Silverman, Kenneth
AU - Stephens, Mary Ann Chutuape
AU - Bigelow, George E.
AU - Stitzer, Maxine L.
N1 - Funding Information:
Supported by researchg rants PSO DA09258, P50 DA05273,a nd K05 DA00050f romt heN ational Institute on Drug Abuse. We thank Lisa A. Marsch for her assistancein developingt he curriculum,e stablishingth e workplacep roceduresm, anaginga nd implementingth e researcha, nd in summarizinga nd analyzingt hed ata.W e thank Rodney Armero, Russell Lum, and Alexandra Gorelick for assistingi n supervisingp articipantsi n the workplace.
PY - 1996/7
Y1 - 1996/7
N2 - This study evaluated the use of voucher reinforcement for maintaining attendance of unemployed methadone patients in a job skills training program. Participants received vouchers for attending daily 2-h computer data entry training sessions. The vouchers had monetary values and were exchangeable for goods and services. During the first 6-week condition, daily vouchers were initially worth $8, increased by $0.90 for every consecutive day of attendance to a maximum of $34.10, and reset to $8 following any day of missed attendance. During the second 6-week condition, voucher values decreased each day by 20% of that individuals' earnings on the previous day. During a final 4-week condition, the highest pay level previously achieved by each individual was reinstated and stayed at that level for the remainder of the condition, except that voucher values reset back to $8 following any missed session. Five of 7 participants completed the study. For those 5 participants, 94% and 98% attendance rates were sustained during first and second high pay conditions, respectively. Four of 5 subjects stopped attending when pay fell to $6-$9 (median = $7) per session in the descending pay amount condition (the fifth subject continued to attend throughout). Mean percent of work days attended was significantly higher during the two high pay conditions than during the decreasing pay condition (P < 0.001). All participants acquired data entry skills. Participants reliably rated the work experience as 'interesting', 'enjoyable', 'challenging', and 'helpful'. Mean ratings for these adjectives obtained on all days attended were significantly higher than ratings of the experience as 'frustrating', 'boring', or a 'waste of time' (P < 0.001). These data show that voucher-based reinforcement can promote sustained attendance of chronically unemployed substance abusers in intensive employment training programs and support the continued evaluation of these incentive procedures under a wider range of worksite training conditions.
AB - This study evaluated the use of voucher reinforcement for maintaining attendance of unemployed methadone patients in a job skills training program. Participants received vouchers for attending daily 2-h computer data entry training sessions. The vouchers had monetary values and were exchangeable for goods and services. During the first 6-week condition, daily vouchers were initially worth $8, increased by $0.90 for every consecutive day of attendance to a maximum of $34.10, and reset to $8 following any day of missed attendance. During the second 6-week condition, voucher values decreased each day by 20% of that individuals' earnings on the previous day. During a final 4-week condition, the highest pay level previously achieved by each individual was reinstated and stayed at that level for the remainder of the condition, except that voucher values reset back to $8 following any missed session. Five of 7 participants completed the study. For those 5 participants, 94% and 98% attendance rates were sustained during first and second high pay conditions, respectively. Four of 5 subjects stopped attending when pay fell to $6-$9 (median = $7) per session in the descending pay amount condition (the fifth subject continued to attend throughout). Mean percent of work days attended was significantly higher during the two high pay conditions than during the decreasing pay condition (P < 0.001). All participants acquired data entry skills. Participants reliably rated the work experience as 'interesting', 'enjoyable', 'challenging', and 'helpful'. Mean ratings for these adjectives obtained on all days attended were significantly higher than ratings of the experience as 'frustrating', 'boring', or a 'waste of time' (P < 0.001). These data show that voucher-based reinforcement can promote sustained attendance of chronically unemployed substance abusers in intensive employment training programs and support the continued evaluation of these incentive procedures under a wider range of worksite training conditions.
KW - Contingency management
KW - Drug abuse
KW - Employment
KW - Reinforcement
KW - Substance abuse
KW - Unemployment
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U2 - 10.1016/0376-8716(96)01252-5
DO - 10.1016/0376-8716(96)01252-5
M3 - Article
C2 - 8842632
AN - SCOPUS:0030200229
SN - 0376-8716
VL - 41
SP - 197
EP - 207
JO - Drug and alcohol dependence
JF - Drug and alcohol dependence
IS - 3
ER -