Date of Award

Summer 2026

Language

English

Embargo Period

4-30-2026

Document Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Psychology (PsyD)

College/School/Department

Department of Educational and Counseling Psychology

Program

School Psychology

First Advisor

Benjamin Solomon

Committee Members

Mariola Moeyaert, Dorothy Novogrodsky

Keywords

choice-based interventions, antecedent interventions, academic engagement, off-task behavior, functional behavioral assessment, single-case design, peer-mediated interventions, MTSS

Subject Categories

Child Psychology | Experimental Analysis of Behavior | Psychology | School Psychology

Abstract

The present study examined the effects of functionally indicated choice-based antecedent interventions on academic and behavioral outcomes for elementary general education students exhibiting elevated levels of off-task behavior during independent seat work. A replicated hybrid single-case design was used to compare two interventions: choice of task sequence (across-activity choice) and choice of peer (within-activity choice). Brief functional behavioral assessments (FBAs) informed hypothesized behavioral function and intervention match. Dependent variables included academic engagement (on-task behavior), with off-task behavior conceptualized as its inverse, as well as academic completion and accuracy; social validity was assessed from teachers and students. Results indicated support for the effectiveness of choice-based interventions. Improvements were more consistently observed in academic engagement and off-task behavior than in completion or accuracy. Participant-level binomial logistic regressions, conducted as supplemental analyses to visual analysis, indicated that all participants were more likely to be engaged during intervention relative to baseline. The choice of peer intervention produced the strongest and most consistent effects for three of four participants, whereas the choice of task sequence showed more variable outcomes. Functional matching was not consistently supported. Findings suggest that peer-mediated choice may serve as a broadly effective and socially valid classroom intervention within multi-tiered systems of support.

License

This work is licensed under the University at Albany Standard Author Agreement.

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