Biomaterial Database

Application of differential reinforcement to control disruptive behaviours of mentally retarded students during remedial instruction. 1981

J K Luiselli, and R S Pollow, and G A Colozzi, and M Teitelbaum

This research was concerned with training special education practitioners to utilise DRO procedures (differential reinforcement of other behaviour) to control disruptive behaviours of mentally retarded students during remedial instruction. The procedures consisted of delivering an edible treat to the students if they failed to exhibit specified problem behaviours during selected time frames. In Study I, out-of-seat behaviour of a six-year-old mildly retarded girl was eliminated in two classroom settings following application of DRO. In addition, treatment effects generalised to a second problem behaviour, disruptive vocalising. In Study II, vocal disruption of a sixteen-year-old severely retarded boy was reduced to near-zero levels during speech therapy sessions. Both studies employed single case experimental designs to determine functional control of the reinforcement contingencies and utilised adjusting schedules to gradually increase the interval for reinforcement. The advantages of DRO programmes in special education settings are discussed.

UI	MeSH Term	Description	Entries
D008297	Male		Males
D008607	Intellectual Disability	Subnormal intellectual functioning which originates during the developmental period. This has multiple potential etiologies, including genetic defects and perinatal insults. Intelligence quotient (IQ) scores are commonly used to determine whether an individual has an intellectual disability. IQ scores between 70 and 79 are in the borderline range. Scores below 67 are in the disabled range. (from Joynt, Clinical Neurology, 1992, Ch55, p28)	Disability, Intellectual,Idiocy,Mental Retardation,Retardation, Mental,Deficiency, Mental,Intellectual Development Disorder,Mental Deficiency,Mental Retardation, Psychosocial,Deficiencies, Mental,Development Disorder, Intellectual,Development Disorders, Intellectual,Disabilities, Intellectual,Disorder, Intellectual Development,Disorders, Intellectual Development,Intellectual Development Disorders,Intellectual Disabilities,Mental Deficiencies,Mental Retardations, Psychosocial,Psychosocial Mental Retardation,Psychosocial Mental Retardations,Retardation, Psychosocial Mental,Retardations, Psychosocial Mental
D012054	Reinforcement, Psychology	The strengthening of a conditioned response.	Negative Reinforcement,Positive Reinforcement,Psychological Reinforcement,Reinforcement (Psychology),Negative Reinforcements,Positive Reinforcements,Psychological Reinforcements,Psychology Reinforcement,Psychology Reinforcements,Reinforcement, Negative,Reinforcement, Positive,Reinforcement, Psychological,Reinforcements (Psychology),Reinforcements, Negative,Reinforcements, Positive,Reinforcements, Psychological,Reinforcements, Psychology
D012055	Reinforcement Schedule	A schedule prescribing when the subject is to be reinforced or rewarded in terms of temporal interval in psychological experiments. The schedule may be continuous or intermittent.	Reinforcement Schedules,Schedule, Reinforcement,Schedules, Reinforcement
D002648	Child	A person 6 to 12 years of age. An individual 2 to 5 years old is CHILD, PRESCHOOL.	Children
D002653	Child Behavior Disorders	Disturbances considered to be pathological based on age and stage appropriateness, e.g., conduct disturbances and anaclitic depression. This concept does not include psychoneuroses, psychoses, or personality disorders with fixed patterns.	Childhood Behavior Disorders,Behavior Disorder, Child,Behavior Disorder, Childhood,Child Behavior Disorder,Childhood Behavior Disorder,Disorder, Childhood Behavior
D004519	Education, Special	Education of the individual who markedly deviates intellectually, physically, socially, or emotionally from those considered to be normal, thus requiring special instruction.	Special Education,Educations, Special,Special Educations
D005260	Female		Females
D005794	Generalization, Response	The principle that after an organism learns to respond in a particular manner to a stimulus, that stimulus is effective in eliciting similar responses.	Generalizations, Response,Response Generalization,Response Generalizations
D006801	Humans	Members of the species Homo sapiens.	Homo sapiens,Man (Taxonomy),Human,Man, Modern,Modern Man