The Limited
Name: Robin Annis
Class: BSAP
Semester: Spring 2007
TA Name: Allison Mueller
Setting and Participant Description


I did a real intervention that took place at The
Limited, in the Crossroad’s mall.
I worked with 5 cashiers.
Reason to Intervene


The quota for total number of Limited credit
cards sold a month was not being met.
The manager, Angie, wanted to increase the
number of limited cards sold.
Pinpoint: Increase offering of the Limited Card
 Baseline: 56%-71% (BAD!)

Analyze the Natural Contingencies



The Ineffective Natural Reinforcement
Contingency:
The cashier can offer a Limited credit card, but
there is only a small chance that she will sell one.
This outcome is too small, and too improbable
to control the behavior of offering a Limited
card.
Analyze the Natural
Contingencies
Ineffective Natural Contingency
Low probability
of credit
card being sold.
Cashier offers
credit card.
Slightly higher
probability
credit card
will be sold.
Competing Contingency


Unfortunately, there are many reinforcement
and punishment contingencies occurring at the
same time, making offering the limited card less
likely.
Such contingencies are:
Time to socialize
 Other duties to finish at work

Analyze the Natural
Contingencies
Natural Competing Contingency
Given amount of
time to
socialize
Cashier offers
credit card.
Less time to
socialize.
Punishment Contingency
Avoidance of the Loss of a Reinforcer
(Finish transaction with no offer)
Baseline Graph
Limited Credit Card Offers
Baseline
Percentage of credit
cards offered
100
80
60
Sample graph
40
20
0
1
2
3
4
Session
5
6
Baseline Graph Description



Baseline was recorded for six sessions.
Data ranged from 56%-71% of Limited credit
cards offered by cashiers.
Manager goal= 100%
Specify the Performance Objectives



Ultimate Goal: Reach monthly quota.
Intermediate Goal: Increase the amount of
credit cards sold daily.
Initial Goal (Pinpoint): Cashiers offer the
Limited card 100% of the time.
Input-Process-Output Model
(Cashiers that offer credit cards 100% of the time)
Production: Training workers to offer credit cards through
positive reinforcement.
(Workers that do not offer credit cards 100% of
the time)
Goal Specification Form
Output
Cashiers that offer Limited credit cards 100% of the time.
Standards
Process
Current
Quality
Credit cards offered
56-71% of the time.
Credit cards offered
100% of the time.
Quantity
Few Cashiers& few
customers
All cashiers& all
customers
Timeliness
If offer occurs-By
end of transaction
Within ten seconds of
transaction.
Cost
n/a
n/a
Training employees to offer credit cards through positive
reinforcement.
Production: X
Input
Ideal
Distribution___
R&D__
Cashiers that do not offer credit cards 100% of the time.
Design the Intervention



The cashiers will have the opportunity for
positive…
Visual feedback: Weekly posting showing the
number of opportunities to offer Limited cards,
and the actual number of offers made.
Verbal feedback: Positive verbal statements
provided by the manager every two hours.
Design the Intervention
Performance Management Contingency
No social praise
From manager.
Fear of no
Social praise.
Cashier offers
Limited credit
card.
Cashier offers
Limited credit
Card.
Social praise
From manager.
No fear of no
Social praise.
Design the Intervention
Performance Management Contingency
Aversive sight
Of poor
performance
chart.
Fear of aversive
Sight of progress
Chart.
Cashier offers
Limited credit
card.
Cashier offers
Limited credit
Card.
No aversive
Sight of poor
Performance
chart.
No fear of
Aversive sight
Of progress
Chart.
Implement the Intervention




I personally notified the cashiers of the
intervention.
Visual feedback was posted every Sunday at
4:00p.m.
Verbal feedback was given to cashiers every two
hours.
Data was collected by direct observation.
Evaluate the Intervention
Limited Credit Card Offers
Baseline
Intervention
Percentage of Credit
Cards Offered
100
80
Sample graph
60
40
NOT BAD!
20
0
1
3
5
7
9
11 13
15
Session
17 19
21
23 25
27
Evaluate the Intervention





I used an AB design.
Rates of offering the Limited card raised to
85%-100% of the time.
Reached goal 33% of the time.
Low variability, and increased responding.
Successful!!
Recycle-real or hypothetical?


No recycle phase was necessary.
In the future, I would recycle and set up an
intervention for each cashier, which should
further increase the percentage of times credit
cards are offered.
Personal Experience
The intervention was successful and the
manager is interested in continuing the
intervention.
 This experience has made me a strong
believer in the power that OBM has.
 Hard work pays off.

Manager and Employees’
Experience


Angie Miller is going to continue to use verbal
reinforcement, and she added a personal cashier
progress board.
Employees liked the verbal feedback and the
weekly postings, and would like to see them
continue.
New Progress Board
Increase in Limited
Card Sales. Could it be
Positive Reinforcement?
Interobserver Agreement


My roommate, Leanne Schrader conducted
IOA. She worked at The Limited before, so she
was aware of what counts as “offering” the
Limited credit card.
100% IOA
Treatment Integrity



Data was recorded Friday, Saturday, and Sunday
(3 hours total).
Weekly graphs were posted every Sunday at
4:00p.m.
Every two hours the manager gave verbal
reinforcement to the cashiers on their progress.
Weekly Posted Graph
No negative
Visual
feedback
Here!
Social Validity


A questionnaire was given to all 5
cashiers.
The questionnaire asked questions about
approval and effectiveness of new
procedures.
Social Validity
Seeing w eekly graphs and getting hourly
feedback encouraged me to offer the
Limited card?
Success! Proof intervention worked.
Level of
agreement(1=disagree,
5=agree)
6
5
4
3
2
1
0
1
2
3
Cashier
4
5
Social Validity
Level of agreement
(1=disagree, 5=agree)
I would like the verbal feedback and graphic
data to continue.
6
5
4
3
2
1
0
1
2
3
Cashier
4
5
Questions or Comments???
She Offered the Limited Card, check one!