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Auditory reinforcement in profoundly retarded multiply handicapped children
American Journal of Mental Deficiency
|November 1, 1977
Summary
This study demonstrates that auditory stimulation can be effectively used as a reinforcer for severely handicapped children. Operant conditioning techniques were successfully applied to measure behavioral changes in this population.
Area of Science:
- Behavioral Psychology
- Developmental Disabilities
- Applied Behavior Analysis
Background:
- Severely handicapped children often present challenges in traditional educational and therapeutic settings.
- Identifying effective reinforcers is crucial for behavior modification programs in this population.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate techniques for establishing effective auditory reinforcers for profoundly retarded, multiply handicapped children.
- To compare the relative potency of different auditory stimuli as reinforcers.
Main Methods:
- Two experiments were conducted using operant conditioning principles.
- Experiment 1: Evaluated a method for selecting effective auditory reinforcers.
- Experiment 2: Employed a multiple schedule to compare the efficacy of established reinforcers against a novel auditory stimulus.
Main Results:
- Auditory stimulation was successfully established as a contingent reinforcer for a visually directed lever-pulling response.
- The study demonstrated the feasibility of systematically measuring operant conditioning effects in severely handicapped individuals.
- Relative potency of auditory reinforcers was successfully evaluated.
Conclusions:
- Systematic measurement of operant conditioning is feasible even with profoundly retarded, multiply handicapped children.
- The findings provide valuable information on effective auditory reinforcers for behavior modification programs.
- This research supports the application of behavioral principles in laboratory settings for this population.