B. F. Skinner is the most eminent psychologist of the twentieth century, and it is no exaggeration to say that his discovery of operant learning (conditioning) has influenced the broader field of psychology, as well as other disciplines, including education, neuroscience, and philosophy. Skinner's discovery and elucidation of operant learning has…

This article discusses basic learning processes utilized by children with profound intellectual disabilities, including classical conditioning, operant conditioning, and habituation. The article also explores how these learning processes may be used in assessing the capabilities and preferences of children with profound intellectual disabilities.…

Eleven institutionalized psychotic children 4- to 13-years-old received 13 weeks of traffic safety training using operant conditioning. (CL)

This study examined developmental changes in concept formation, rule switching, and perseverative behaviors of children in the WCST by altering visual features of the test and using a new test score--the "zigzag" error score--which shows the number of shifts made between two incorrect concepts or rules. Instead of the original four 3-dimensional…

Innovative models for education are often quickly adopted. Behavior modification, or operant conditioning, is an example of a technique which has been widely used because, when properly applied in the classroom, it "works." However, the application of a technique should be carefully thought through in terms of the meaning of the behavior in…

Forty-five youngsters rehearsed one of three types of mediating response, involving different types of sentences. Analyses revealed that different training significantly influenced duration and intensity settings, with the "competence" group generally superior to the "stimulus" and "neutral" verbalization groups. (Author)

Stereotypies (repetitive movements of any part of the body) and toy play by three severely retarded males (from 8 to 14 years of age) were recorded in a setting featuring a wide array of toys. (Author)

Studies the effectiveness of therapeutic modeling using dissimilar or similar models. Pre- and post-measures of fear were taken on behavioral and attitude dimensions. Behaviorally, model similarity in level of fear was unimportant, while similarity in age was. More similar models on either variable produced greater change in attitudes. (Author/SJL)

A two-part study of 10 autistic children (mean age 10.5 years) was designed to assess the transfer of treatment gains across settings. (Author/SB)

This training manual is designed to prepare behavior assistants to teach parents and other family members how to use operant conditioning techniques to solve family problems with children. Readers are warned not to attempt to put the recommended procedures to actual use until the text is fully comprehended. Chapter I gives arguments to justify the…

The biomotometer, an electronic device that simultaneously measures activity and provides auditory feedback to the subject, was used in combination with material reinforcers in two experiments attempting to modify activity level in two children (one hyperactive, one psychotic and hyperactive). (Author/SBH)

A particularly severe case of self-injurious behavior in a multiply (visually, mentally, and emotionally) handicapped 10-year-old girl was successfully treated by response contingent shock, combined with rewards. (DB)