Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Effects Of Operant Conditioning Of Cooperative Play On Non-Reinforced Behaviors In Severely And Profoundly Retarded Adults, Martha Wade Aenchbacher

Legacy ETDs

A group of seven severely and profoundly retarded adults from a sheltered workshop program were trained in cooperative play (basketball skills and hand clapping) using social and edible reinforcement and fading procedures. The generalization effects of the training on non-reinforced (undesirable) behaviors in an extratraining setting was investigated. A reversal technique in which the reinforcement was temporarily withdrawn demonstrated the reliable functioning of the training procedures. Independent observers recorded target behaviors during five phases: Baseline; Training; Generalization Testing; Extinction; Generalization Testing. The rate of undesirable behaviors decreased significantly in the extra-training setting (activity room) following the training phase. The findings …