Results obtained from 27 infants ranging in age from 10 to 12 weeks indicated that infants develop expectancies regarding how stimuli occurring in particular contexts should behave based on their prior experiences with these stimuli. (Author/RH)

Two experiments examined the effects of a change in a reinforcing stimulus's color on memory for an operant response in three- to four-month-old infants. (Author/RH)

Examines the theories of Aronfreed, Bandura, Berger, and Hygge. Also reviews experimental evidence published since 1962 which supports theories of observational learning of emotional behavior. While the theories posit that different conditions are necessary to vicarious instigation, most research does not test the theories in any direct way.…

Sixty-five infants (mean age of 111 days) who failed to complete a two-day operant-conditioning task were compared with a stratified random sample of those who did on measures of infant temperament and several demographic characteristics. A discriminant-function analysis was performed. (Author/BN)

Relationship between maternal ratings of temperament and operant learning was examined in 18 2- to 3-month-old infants. Subjects participated in a conjugate reinforcement experiment; mothers of subjects completed the Carey and McDevitt Revised Infant Temperament Questionnaire 2 to 3 days before the learning study. Two temperament dimensions,…

Four young adults with moderate mental retardation were taught to include "please" as part of requests, and four environmental stimuli present during training were assessed. Results indicated that presence of a single stimulus or pair of stimuli increased the probability of the "please" response, whereas presence of other…

This study evaluated use of the interpolation of reinforcement effect, which combines intermittent (INT) and continuous reinforcement (CRF) schedules, with four young children with autism using a free-operant preparation. Results suggest that responding may be less resistant to extinction following interpolated CRF reinforcement than following INT…

Sensitivity to reinforcement contingencies was examined in six individuals with mental retardation using a concurrent operants procedure in the context of a computer game. Results included individual differences in sensitivity and differential sensitivity to rate and magnitude variation. Results suggest that comprehensive assessments of potential…

This study found that, compared to measuring approach behaviors to a variety of stimuli, a forced-choice stimulus preference assessment used with four young children with severe mental retardation resulted in greater differentiation among stimuli and better predicted which stimuli would result in higher levels of responding when presented…

The influence of negative affect on the retrieval of information from memory during infancy was investigated in two studies through the use of an operant conditioning paradigm. The procedure used, known as "mobile conjugate reinforcement," involves a free operant task in which an infant is reinforced for footkicking by the movement of an…

This study tested whether conditioning to one member of a compound stimulus can be blocked by presence of a second member to which the response was previously conditioned. Eight mentally retarded students (ages 7-9) were presented with words, sometimes accompanied by pictures. Six students performed best when words were presented without pictures.…

This study examined the use of air-puff conditioning audiometry in the hearing assessment of 12 multiply handicapped (including severe/profound mental retardation) subjects, ages 9-32. Ten subjects reached criterion conditioning and then completed the hearing assessment with the air-puff procedure while one reached criterion with a modified…

This study evaluated eye-blink conditioning in 11 persons with autism (ages 11 to 22). Compared to matched controls, persons with autism learned the task faster but performed short-latency, high-amplitude conditioned responses. Results suggest this population has the ability to rapidly associate paired stimuli but may have impairments in…

A parent-conducted program of verbal response-contingent stimulation was effectively used to reduce stuttering to near zero levels in 12 children (younger than age 5). Treatments were completed in a median of 10.5 1-hour clinic sessions and 84.5 days. (Author/DB)

This study assessed antecedents of severe problem behaviors of 92 adults with intellectual disability using a checklist comprising 19 scales of antecedent events scored for likelihood of preceding problem behaviors. Data analysis with clients with conduct behavior problems, emotional behavior problems, and both conduct and emotional behavior…