|
| Research on Stimulus Overselectivity and Stimulus Control: Factors Affecting Learning in Children With Autism |
| Sunday, May 30, 2010 |
| 9:00 AM–10:20 AM |
| Bowie B (Grand Hyatt) |
| Area: EAB/TPC; Domain: Experimental Analysis |
| Chair: Kimberly Vogt (Teachers College, Columbia University) |
| Discussant: Anna I. Petursdottir (Texas Christian University) |
| Abstract: Discrimination learning requires stimulus control. Stimulus overselectivity—a phenomenon where only a limited subset of the total number of stimuli present controls behavior—interferes with stimulus control. The first two papers presented here analyze (1) The phenomenon of stimulus overselectivity in typically developing learners and learners with autism; (2) The effects of extinction on levels of stimulus overselectivity; and (3) An analysis between instructional methodologies—eclectic versus behavioral—on the remediating factor for stimulus overselectivity. The third paper examines a procedure based on the paradigms of stimulus equivalence and relational frame theory to teach the relational frames of coordination “is” and “are” of plural nouns to children with autism and other language delays. |
| |
| The Effects of Chronological Age on Stimulus Overselectivity in Typically Developing Participants |
| MICHELLE P. KELLY (National University of Ireland, Galway), Geraldine Leader (National University of Ireland), Olive Healy (National University of Ireland, Galway) |
| Abstract: Stimulus overselectivity refers to the phenomenon where only a limited subset of the total number of stimuli present during discrimination learning controls behaviour. There is an abundance of literature examining overselectivity in participants with developmental disabilities, particularly autism. However this problematic phenomenon is not exclusively evident in this population. This study investigated chronological age as an independent variable that correlates with overselectivity in typically developing participants. Participants included 45 typically developing participants, nine in each of five age categories: 16-18 years, 21-25 years, 48-55 years, 65-72 years and 85-90 years. Each participant’s level of attention was assessed using the computerized Sustained Attention to Response Task. All groups were then divided into two conditions, with or without a distracter task, and trained on a simple discrimination task using compound stimuli. Levels of stimulus overselectivity were assessed. A verbal positive punisher was then introduced to test its effectiveness on reducing control by the previously overselected stimulus and increasing the control exerted by the previously underselected stimulus. The results were examined in relation to the literature on attention-deficits and overshadowing theories of overselectivity. |
| |
| The Effects of Extinction on Stimulus Overselectivity in Children With High, Moderate, or Low Functioning Autism |
| MICHELLE P. KELLY (National University of Ireland, Galway) |
| Abstract: Stimulus overselectivity refers to the phenomenon where only a limited subset of the total number of stimuli present during discrimination learning controls behaviour. This study investigates the remediation of overselectivity by manipulating post-learning behaviour. Experiment 1 compared three groups of 12 children with high, moderate, and low-functioning autism. All participants received at least 20 hours of intensive behavioural intervention in Irish ABA schools. IQ scores, age equivalent scores and attention levels were attained for each participant. Discrimination card tasks using two, two-element compound stimuli were then administered. The overselected stimulus was chosen and extinguished by reinforcing a novel stimulus and levels of overselectivity were reassessed. Experiment 2 also compared three groups of 12 children with high, moderate, and low-functioning autism. However, these groups received their education in Irish eclectic units. The same procedure was used in Experiment 1. In both experiments, the effects of extinction on levels of stimulus overselectivity were calculated. Correlations between overselectivity and IQ scores, age equivalent scores and attention levels were also analysed. Finally, the difference in instructional methodology was examined between the participants in Experiments 1 and 2 to ascertain if behavioural intervention was a remediating factor for stimulus overselectivity. |
| |
| Acquisition of the Generalized Meaning of the Singular—Plural Relation of Nouns in Children With Autism |
| GLADYS WILLIAMS (Center for International Environmental Law), Carmen Luciano Soriano (University of Almera), Monica Rodriguez Mori (CIEL, Spain) |
| Abstract: Teaching children the functional use of singular and plural relations seems to be a concern of practitioners who work with children with autism and other language disorders. However, attempts to teach this skill often fail to produce generalization. It is the purpose of this paper to examine a procedure (Luciano, 2009) based on the theory of relational frame theory (RFT) and multiple exemplar training (MET). Three children with autism who were able to mand and tact objects participated in the study. We observed that these children did not use the singular-plural relation appropriately. We selected sets of nouns with unusual or irregular plurals. For example, foot-feet, tooth-teeth, goose-geese, child-children, mouse-mice, etc. The training had several phases (1) MTS procedures of nonarbitrary stimuli of pictures of objects in singular and plural, (2) Training one set using multiple exemplars responding to the relational cues “is” and “are” and the equivalent extension of “This is a ____” and “These are ____”. (3) Test for generalization with a new set. The results will follow. |
|
| |