To what behaviors do attending adults respond? A replication

Area of Science:

• Behavioral Psychology
• Developmental Disabilities Research
• Institutional Care Analysis

Background:

• Replication of Warren and Mondy (1971) study on staff responses.
• Investigation into staff interactions with individuals with severe and profound intellectual disabilities.
• Comparison of residential settings: institutions, large community units, and small community houses.

Purpose of the Study:

• To observe and compare staff responses to resident behavior across different residential settings.
• To identify differences in staff encouragement of appropriate behavior.
• To explore factors influencing staff interaction patterns.

Main Methods:

• Observational study replicating a previous research design.
• Data collection on staff responses to the behavior of 90 adults with severe and profound intellectual disabilities.
• Comparative analysis of staff behavior in institutional, large community, and small community settings.

Main Results:

• Staff in institutions and large community units exhibited similar response problems as noted by Warren and Mondy, particularly a lack of responding to appropriate behavior.
• Staff in small community houses demonstrated significantly greater encouragement of appropriate behavior.
• A 3:1 discrimination ratio in attending to appropriate versus other behavior was observed in small community houses.

Conclusions:

• Smaller residential settings may foster more positive staff-resident interactions.
• Differences in setting size, organization, or staff training could explain observed variations in staff behavior.
• Findings suggest environmental factors significantly impact the quality of care for individuals with intellectual disabilities.