Development of verbal control over bizarre gestures of retardates through imitative and nonimitative reinforcement...

Two retardates, manifesting hand gestures and minimal instructional control, were trained by imitative reinforcement procedures to imitate a response that was in contrast to gesturing. Next, with the contrast response continuing to be imitatively reinforced, gesturing was reduced by nonimitative reinforcement procedures; while providing facial and gesture cues, the adult said, "Do not do this". Imitative and nonimitative procedures were found to have the same effects on the contrast response as on the gesturing response, such that imitative procedures increased both responses, whereas nonimitative procedures decreased both. Nonperformance of gesturing was further maintained when (1) explicit verbal directions for nongesturing were superimposed upon the demonstrational-facial-verbal cues as these collective stimuli were faded out and (2) food reinforcers for nongesturing were gradually removed while social consequences continued to be administered.