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Increased Reinforcer Immediacy can Promote Employment-Seeking in Unemployed Homeless Adults with Alcohol Use Disorder.

Forrest ToegelAugust F HoltynKenneth Silverman
Published in: The Psychological record (2020)
Unemployment, homelessness, and substance use are interrelated. The present study took place as part of a clinical trial aimed to promote employment and abstinence from alcohol in unemployed, homeless adults with alcohol use disorders. Participants earned abstinence-contingent financial incentives for completing employment-seeking activities and hourly stipends for working with an employment specialist. In the initial condition, participants were paid all earnings on Bi-Monthly intervals. Despite the availability of incentives for completing employment-seeking activities, participants completed activities at low rates. A multiple-baseline across participants was used to evaluate the effect of providing pay every day for completing employment-seeking activities. Daily pay increased rates of completing activities for all three participants. Results suggest that reinforcer immediacy can be an important parameter in the control of employment-seeking activities.
Keyphrases
  • mental illness
  • mental health
  • clinical trial
  • palliative care
  • physical activity
  • healthcare
  • young adults
  • study protocol
  • human immunodeficiency virus
  • phase ii
  • alcohol consumption
  • phase iii