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Related Experiment Videos

Reinforcer frequency and restricted stimulus control

W V Dube1, W J McIlvane

  • 1Behavioral Sciences Division, E. K. Shriver Center, Waltham, Massachusetts 02254, USA. wdube@shriver.org

Journal of the Experimental Analysis of Behavior
|February 12, 1998
PubMed
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This study shows that reinforcement frequency influences stimulus control in individuals with intellectual disabilities. Higher reinforcement rates increase the likelihood of a stimulus controlling behavior in matching tasks.

Area of Science:

  • Behavioral Psychology
  • Cognitive Science
  • Developmental Disabilities

Background:

  • Stimulus control is fundamental to learning and behavior.
  • Individuals with intellectual disabilities may exhibit restricted stimulus control or stimulus overselectivity.
  • Understanding factors influencing stimulus control is crucial for effective interventions.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate how reinforcement frequency affects stimulus control in a delayed identity matching-to-sample task.
  • To determine if differential reinforcement can selectively establish stimulus control by one of two sample stimuli.
  • To explore the relationship between reinforcement schedules and stimulus overselectivity in individuals with moderate to severe intellectual disabilities.

Main Methods:

  • Utilized delayed identity matching-to-sample procedures with one or two sample stimuli.

Related Experiment Videos

  • Manipulated reinforcement schedules (variable-ratio) to create high and low reinforcer rates for specific stimuli.
  • Assessed stimulus control by analyzing selection accuracy in two-sample comparison trials.
  • Reversed reinforcement schedules to confirm experimental control.

    • Main Results:

    • Participants showed a preference for stimuli associated with higher reinforcement rates.
    • Accuracy in two-sample trials was higher when high-reinforcer stimuli were present in comparisons.
    • Differential reinforcement successfully altered which stimulus exerted control in the two-sample task.
    • Reversing reinforcement schedules reversed the observed stimulus control patterns.

    Conclusions:

    • Reinforcement frequency is a critical determinant of stimulus control in this population.
    • Experimental manipulation of reinforcement contingencies can effectively control stimulus selection.
    • Findings contribute to understanding and potentially mitigating stimulus overselectivity in intellectual disabilities.