RESUMEN
In 1991, Archer, Maruish, Imhof, and Piotrowski presented survey findings based on the responses of a national sample of psychologists who performed psychological assessment with adolescent clients. The current survey was designed to update their results by examining the test use practices reported by 346 psychologists who work with adolescents in a variety of clinical and academic settings. These respondents represented an adjusted survey return rate of 36% and predominantly consisted of doctoral prepared psychologists (95%) in private practice settings (51%). The survey respondents had a mean of 13.6 years of post-degree clinical experience, and spent an average of 45% of their clinical time working with adolescents. Survey results reveal a substantial similarity in test usage between the 1991 survey and the current investigation. For example, the Wechsler Intelligence Scales, Rorschach, Thematic Apperception Test (TAT), and Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI) remain among the widely used tests with adolescents. However, several changes were also noted including a reduction in the use of the Bender-Gestalt and increases in the use of parent and teacher rating instruments. The current findings are used to estimate the relative popularity of an extensive list of test instruments, compare current findings to 1991 survey results, and to examine several issues related to general effects of managed care procedures and policies on test usage with adolescents.
Asunto(s)
Conducta del Adolescente/psicología , Pruebas Psicológicas , Encuestas y Cuestionarios , Adolescente , Femenino , Humanos , Masculino , Persona de Mediana Edad , Psicología , Psicología del Adolescente , Recursos HumanosRESUMEN
A combined reversal and multiple baseline design was utilized to assess reduction of repetitive hand movements for three severely mentally retarded children. Stereotypy was assessed during baseline (reinforcement for on task behavior) and sensory change (rings and reinforcement, rings, and faded rings) conditions. The results indicated sensory change effectively reduced the target responses. These results were durable up to 4 hours. We conclude that the procedure used in this study is a non-intrusive intervention that is an extension of the current literature pertaining to sensory extinction.
Asunto(s)
Atención , Educación de las Personas con Discapacidad Intelectual , Sensación , Conducta Estereotipada , Régimen de Recompensa , Adolescente , Trastorno Autístico/rehabilitación , Niño , Femenino , Humanos , Discapacidad Intelectual/rehabilitación , Masculino , Tratamiento DomiciliarioRESUMEN
Certain misrepresentations of our theory of self-stimulatory behavior by Lewis, Baumeister, and Mailman (1987) are corrected and several questions raised by the commentators are answered. Their proposed neurobiological alternative is considered briefly and judged to be insufficiently detailed, inadequate in scope, and therefore premature.
Asunto(s)
Modelos Neurológicos , Refuerzo en Psicología , Autoestimulación , Conducta Estereotipada/fisiología , HumanosRESUMEN
Self-stimulatory behavior is repetitive, stereotyped, functionally autonomous behavior seen in both normal and developmentally disabled populations, yet no satisfactory theory of its development and major characteristics has previously been offered. We present here a detailed hypothesis of the acquisition and maintenance of self-stimulatory behavior, proposing that the behaviors are operant responses whose reinforcers are automatically produced interoceptive and exteroceptive perceptual consequences. The concept of perceptual stimuli and reinforcers, the durability of self-stimulatory behaviors, the sensory extinction effect, the inverse relationship between self-stimulatory and other behaviors, the blocking effect of self-stimulatory behavior on new learning, and response substitution effects are discussed in terms of the hypothesis. Support for the hypothesis from the areas of sensory reinforcement and sensory deprivation is also reviewed. Limitations of major alternative theories are discussed, along with implications of the perceptual reinforcement hypothesis for the treatment of excessive self-stimulatory behavior and for theoretical conceptualizations of functionally related normal and pathological behaviors.
Asunto(s)
Percepción , Refuerzo en Psicología , Autoestimulación , Trastorno Autístico/psicología , Terapia Conductista , Niño , Condicionamiento Operante , Extinción Psicológica , Humanos , Discapacidad Intelectual/psicología , Sensación , Privación Sensorial , Conducta EstereotipadaRESUMEN
The present study compared two classroom-relevant procedures for remediating visual overselectivity in autistic children. One approach was based on perceptual-motor theory in which possible relationships between functional object-use and overselectivity were studied. The second strategy, equivalence training, used a four-step stimulus shift procedure. A comparison group of autistic children was exposed to simple repeated practice trials with the test tasks. Results showed that equivalence training was more effective than functional object-use in improving posttest scores, with repeated practice falling in between. The results are discussed in terms of theoretical and practical issues relating to stimulus overselectivity, including the incorporation of microcomputer technology.
Asunto(s)
Atención , Trastorno Autístico/rehabilitación , Adolescente , Factores de Edad , Trastorno Autístico/psicología , Niño , Preescolar , Señales (Psicología) , Aprendizaje Discriminativo , Femenino , Humanos , Inteligencia , Masculino , Práctica Psicológica , Distribución AleatoriaRESUMEN
We compared the effects of sensory and edible reinforcers on resistance to satiation in three autistic children while learning visual discrimination tasks. Within-subject designs were used to compare a single sensory reinforcer with a single edible reinforcer and to compare multiple sensory reinforcers with multiple edibles. Results indicated that multiple sensory reinforcers maintained responding over more trials than did multiple edible reinforcers; however, the use of single sensory reinforcers and single edibles resulted in about equal numbers of trials to satiation. Both multiple and single sensory reinforcers produced higher percentages of correct responses than edible reinforcers. The findings are discussed in terms of the advantages of sensory reinforcers in teaching autistic children.
Asunto(s)
Trastorno Autístico/rehabilitación , Motivación , Refuerzo en Psicología , Niño , Preescolar , Aprendizaje Discriminativo , Alimentos , Humanos , Masculino , Estimulación Física , Saciedad , Enseñanza/métodos , Percepción VisualRESUMEN
This study sought to identify some of the variables controlling the severely aggressive behavior of two retarded children. In Experiment 1, each child was presented with several demand and nondemand situations. Aggression was frequent in the demand situations and rare in the nondemand situations. When a stimulus correlated with the termination of demands was introduced, aggression fell to a near zero level. In Experiment 2, for one child, a variety of preferred reinforcers was introduced into the demand situation contingent on correct responding. Aggression abruptly decreased to a low level. Experiments 3 and 4 involved the second child. In Experiment 3, this child was permitted, in one condition, to leave the demand situation if he emitted a nonaggressive response. Aggression decreased to a low level. In Experiment 4, he was prevented, in one condition, from leaving the demand situation in spite of high levels of aggression. Aggression fell to a near zero level. In Experiments 3 and 4, he was permitted, in several conditions, to leave the demand situation following aggressive behavior. Aggression increased to a high level. The results suggested that: (1) aggression can sometimes function as an escape response; and (2) escape-motivated aggression can be controlled by: (a) introducing strongly preferred reinforcers to attenuate the aversiveness of the demand situation; (b) strengthening an alternative, nonaggressive escape response; or (c) using an escape-extinction procedure.