Increasing Response Accuracy in Moderately Retarded Adolescents through the Use of Time Delay

This study attempted to evaluate the efficacy of time delay in increasing the academic response accuracy of moderately retarded adolescents. The time delay technique provided a means by which "cognitive organizers" could be taught to the students to mediate their behavior and improve academic performance. A modified multiple baseline alternating treatments design was used with junior high subjects in four special education classrooms, with each classroom having between 12 and 15 students. During the experimental phase of verbal prompt and time delay, the daily percentage of accurate oral student responses increased significantly over the baseline phase. Removing the verbal prompt and simply delaying student responses did not adversely affect accuracy. The study concluded that time delay can be a viable means of increasing response accuracy in moderately mentally retarded adolescents. The verbal prompt was needed only as a means of establishing stimulus control for the time delay technique. (JDD)