USE OF FEEDBACK AND REINFORCEMENT TO INCREASE THE TELEPHONE REPORTING OF INDEPENDENT AUTOMOBILE APPRAISERS

This case study describes a behavioral management program to modify the performance of employees of independent appraisal firms involved in the processing of insurance claims. Delays in appraising and reporting automobile damages had produced a corresponding delay in the payment of claims. The latter slowed the productivity of the claim department and often led to customer dissatisfaction, complaints and time consuming telephone conversations to explain the delay. Although appraisers were required by a contractual agreement. to report financial estimates of damages within twenty-four hours after receiving a request, informal observations indicated that appraisal forms typically failed to meet this criteria.     

Further Effects of Lottery Odds on Responding

Lotteries (i.e., probabilistic bonus contingencies) are an established intervention in Organizational Behavior Management. Although common, there are many permutations of lotteries used in literature and they are often combined with other interventions. One key variable that may influence the effectiveness of lotteries are the odds that the lottery will pay out to those who earn entry. The current investigation evaluated a lottery intervention with varied payout chances (25%, 12%, 6%, or 3%). A 6% chance of winning was the lowest odds of winning where responding was reliably maintained across two participants. Implications of these results and future direction for research are discussed below.     

The Effect of Raffle Odds on Signing In at a Treatment Center for Adults with Mental Illness

Abstract

This case study describes the use of a daily raffle to increase attendance in a socialization center for approximately 75 adults diagnosed with mental illness. Specifically, the relationship between signing in, which was a measure of attendance, and the odds of winning points which could be exchanged for tangible and edible items was examined. An ABACADABACAD reversal design was used to evaluate the effects of three levels of odds (25%, 50%, 75%) on signing in to the center. Results indicated that signing in increased by 14% over baseline when the raffle was in place. However, no difference between the odds conditions was evident. A cost-benefit analysis showed that the raffle was cost effective for the center.