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| Topics in Translational Research |
| Saturday, May 29, 2010 |
| 3:00 PM–4:20 PM |
| Lone Star Ballroom Salon D (Grand Hyatt) |
| Area: EAB/AUT; Domain: Applied Behavior Analysis |
| Chair: Jason C. Bourret (New England Center for Children) |
| Discussant: Timothy R. Vollmer (University of Florida) |
| CE Instructor: Chata Dickson, Ph.D. |
| Abstract: The talks in this symposium emphasize the exploration of basic processes with implications for application to clinical settings. They include the evaluation of methods for identifying optimally effective exchange schedules for token economies using behavioral economic analyses, an investigation of the schedule in effect during basketball shooting that highlights a method for describing schedules in effect in naturally occurring environments, and an analysis of the effects of psychotropic medication on the behavior of individuals diagnosed with autism. |
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| Behavioral Economic Manipulations in a Closed Token Economy: Examination of Methods for Rapid Generation of Work and Demand Functions |
| KATHRYN G. HORTON (The New England Center for Children), Jason C. Bourret (New England Center for Children) |
| Abstract: The present study evaluated work and demand functions generated by adjusting the exchange schedules of token economies across three preparations. In Study ,1 data were collected in the context of ongoing implementation of a token economy by on-shift staff over periods of five hours each day. In study 2 data were collected during 5-min sessions across ascending exchange-schedule fixed-ratio values that were similar to those evaluated in study 1. In study 3 a progressive-ratio schedule was used with increases yoked to the previously evaluated exchange schedules. Across all studies work and demand functions were generated from responding and consumption respectively. The Implications of the findings for empirical identification of optimal prices for use in token economies and methods for rapid generation of work and demand functions are discussed. |
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| Describing Naturally Occurring Schedules: Analysis of feedback Functions for Shooting During Basketball Games. |
| NICHOLAS R VANSELOW (Northeastern University), Jason C. Bourret (New England Center for Children) |
| Abstract: A number of recent studies have applied the matching law in quantitatively analyzing behavior occurring in the context of sports including two- and three-point shot allocation by basketball players. This research is important and interesting in that it suggest that the matching law may well describe responding in naturally occurring human environments. However, because there is no experimental manipulation, the schedule in effect is unknown. In the case of the matching law, if it is a pure ratio schedule, matching is forced and must occur. This means that obtained matching would be a property of the schedule rather than a property of behavior and the interpretation of the finding would be much different. In the Study 1, feedback functions were fit to naturally occurring basketball shooting data to describe the schedule in effect. In Study 2, feedback functions were fit to data from an experiment in which the rate of shooting was manipulated to provide a greater range and allow a more complete description of the function form. |
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| Analysis of the Effects of Psychotropic Medication on the Behavior of Children Diagnosed with Autism |
| MATOTOPA AUGUSTINE (New England Center for Children), Jason C. Bourret (New England Center for Children) |
| Abstract: A variety of psychotropic medications are used to decrease problem behavior in children and adults with autism-spectrum disorders. While some research has suggested that medication can differentially affect topographies of behavior with differing response classes, there is limited research that presents systematic data on the specific behavior-altering effects of these drugs. In the present study we examined the relations between doses of psychotropic medication and levels of a number of different topographies of behavior. Findings are discussed as a step toward a data-driven method of prescribing, titrating, and tapering psychotropic medication. |
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