Effect of Systematic Peer Interaction on the Incidental Learning of Two Severely Handicapped Students

Abstract

This study investigated the effects of systematically including peer interaction trials during a group training session for two severely handicapped adolescent students. Both students were directly taught different three-component sequences of skills. Using a multiple baseline design, incidental learning was assessed by measuring each student's performance of the other student's skill sequence. This study also explored whether the placement of peer interaction in the sequence (i.e., whether it occurred after the first, second, or third component) affected incidental learning. Results indicated that for one student incidental learning occurred with only a minimal amount of structured interaction between the students. Results for this student further indicated a direct relationship between placement of the interaction in the skill sequence and acquisition of the specific skills. For two of the three skills, the student showed incidental learning of the skill presented just prior to the peer interaction trial.