AUDITORY REINFORCEMENT IN PROFOUNDLY RETARDED MULTIPLY HANDICAPPED CHILDREN

Abstract

Profoundly retarded multiply handicapped children were placed in a situation where auditory stimulation was made contingent on a visually directed lever-pulling response. In the 1st experiment, a technique for establishing an effective reinforcer from a range of possible reinforcing stimuli was evaluated. In the 2nd experiment, a multiple schedule was used to compare effectiveness of a reinforcer whose efficacy was established in the 1st experiment with a 2nd auditory stimulus. The selection of auditory reinforcers and an evaluation of their relative potency was achieved using these techniques. The feasibility of systematic measurement of operant-conditioning effects with very severely handicapped subjects in a laboratory situation was shown. The information gained concerning the effectiveness of auditory reinforcers has implications for behavior-modification programs with these children.