The comparability of PPVT and PPVT-R scores among retarded adults were examined. The sample consisted of 96 clients, who had been previously diagnosed as mildly, moderately, or severely retarded. The PPVT (Form A) and PPVT-R (Form L) were administered to all participants in counter balanced order. Significant correlations were found between the two tests for the total sample as well as for females and males. Additionally, the PPVT-R was found to be capable of discriminating differing levels or retardation. However, with the exception of the severely retarded group, mean PPVT-R Standard Score Equivalent (SSE) scores tended to be approximately 20 points lower than PPVT IQ scores. Some clinical implications of these results were discussed.

Two groups of eleven retarded adults each were used as subjects. An individually consequated token economy was in effect during baseline-1 for both groups. The treatment phase of the experiment consisted of group consequation, the first group receiving a high rate of reinforcement and the second group receiving a low rate. The individual token system was reinstated for both groups during baseline-2 measures. Attending behavior and work output were measured during each phase of the experiment. Significant differences were found between group versus individually contingent reinforcement treatments on attending behaviors, and between high and low contingency groups on performance behaviors. Differences between the high contingency and low contingency groups were found to be non-significant in regard to attending behaviors.

Made available in DSpace on 2016-06-02T19:45:56Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 1359.pdf: 738636 bytes, checksum: 685aa48f29438f2f91df93378290774f (MD5) Previous issue date: 2007-02-23 / Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais / Choice making is a fundamental skill for all individuals. Choice opportunities are related with important questions of human development, and of paramount importance to the development of clinical and educational programs for mentally retarded individuals. Despite its practical importance, little is known about the effects that choice may have in the work environment of this population. In this study, choice was investigated under two conditions: with and without environmental work support. Work performance was assessed as a function of conditions chosen. First, four mentally retarded adults learned to perform a work task under those two conditions. The task consisted of assembling notebook covers. An MDF (medium density fiber) board measuring 30cm by 40 cm, was employed as work support and displayed several low relief recipients to suit its different components and was designed to provide immediate feedback, to increase or maintain the rate of work response and to prevent errors during the task routine. A number of small pieces of paper, 2cm by 2cm, in different colors, pieces of thin cardboard, 10cm by 8cm, glue sticks, candies and chocolate bars previously chosen by the participants in preference tests were used. The study took place in quiet, well lit and ventilated room at the participants institution, isolated from other workshop clients. Following initial training the participants worked individually either under multiple schedules or under concurrent-chain schedules according to a multiple-element design. When the multiple schedules condition was on, the components were either presence or absence of work support, quasi-randomly distributed. Under the concurrent-chain schedules conditions a FR-1 was used on the first link, and either one of the two work alternatives, on the second link. Throughout the study, whenever the participant presented an error, verbal, gestual prompts and model were provided. Initially verbal prompts were provided and, if necessary, by gestual, verbal plus gestual prompts, and model, in this sequence, until the target responses were emitted. In relation to the parameters analyzed, the number of errors and prompts were higher working without work support than working with it, during the teaching phase. Baseline on task performance, under multiple schedules, showed prompts lower in the work support component in relation to the no work support component. Under concurrent chain schedule, however, the percentage of prompts under work support was higher in relation to the no work support alternative. As far as time spent to complete the task, in the teaching phase, two participants finished the work activity faster in the component without support. During baseline on task performance, under multiple schedules and chain concurrent schedules, three participants finished the task faster working with the work support. The results showed a preference for the work support alternative for two participants, while the other two distributed their choices evenly between the two alternatives. With the work support, time on task was relatively lower as compared to the no work support. The number of errors by P3 was different from the other participants, who showed a much smaller number of errors evenly distributed between the experimental conditions. Working with support was preferable from the participant s point of view. Besides that, under supported work, participants finished the task faster and the number of errors was kept in a low level. The participants could choose independently of his performance in the parameters analyzed. The study brings a contribution to vocational training programs for the severely retarded and to the development of a common interface with the areas of Behavior Analysis, Special Education and Ergonomics and brings practical implications for the design of teach procedures for mentally retarded. / A habilidade de fazer boas escolhas é fundamental para o sucesso da adaptação de indivíduos em seu ambiente social e relaciona-se com importantes questões de programação de ensino e de tratamento clínico para deficientes mentais. Apesar dessa importância, pouco se sabe sobre seus efeitos em ambientes de trabalho para esses indivíduos. O presente estudo analisou o comportamento de escolha de indivíduos deficientes mentais sob duas condições de trabalho e avaliou a influência da situação de escolha e de não escolha sobre parâmetros de desempenho nessas condições. Quatro indivíduos deficientes mentais adultos aprenderam uma tarefa de trabalho com e sem arranjo instrucional. A tarefa consistia em montar capas de blocos de anotações por meio da colagem de pedaços de papel dobradura sobre papel cartão. O arranjo, desenvolvido para a tarefa de trabalho, continha dispositivos para colocação de papel, fundo de capas de bloco de anotações e cola. Seu objetivo foi prover assistência imediata, aumentar ou manter a freqüência do comportamento e prevenir erros na rotina da tarefa. Em seguida, os participantes realizaram a tarefa alternadamente, sob esquemas múltiplos de reforçamento, ou sob esquemas concorrentes com encadeamento, organizados em um delineamento experimental de múltiplos elementos. Nos esquemas múltiplos, os componentes se alternavam de forma quase randômica e diferiam com relação à presença ou ausência do arranjo instrucional. Nos esquemas concorrentes com encadeamento, o participante pôde escolher, no primeiro elo, sob esquemas de razão fixa (FR 1), a alternativa, com ou sem arranjo instrucional, com a qual trabalharia no segundo elo. O desempenho sob esquemas múltiplos, sem escolha do componente, foi comparado com o desempenho sob esquemas concorrentes com encadeamento, em que os participantes puderam escolher a alternativa com que iriam trabalhar para verificar a função da escolha sobre o desempenho nas alternativas, com e sem arranjo. Ao longo de todas as fases do estudo, à medida que o participante apresentasse erros, eram fornecidas instruções verbais, gestuais, e modelo. Inicialmente eram apresentadas instruções verbais, seguidas de gestuais e modelo, até que a resposta correta fosse emitida. Na fase de ensino, os participantes aprenderam os seis passos da tarefa e houve maior quantidade de instrução na presença do componente A, sem arranjo. Na fase de linha de base, nas tentativas com esquemas múltiplos, houve maior quantidade de instrução na presença do componente A; e nas tentativas com esquemas concorrentes com encadeamento, houve maior quantidade de instrução na alternativa com arranjo. Nessa, tanto em esquemas múltiplos como em esquemas concorrentes com encadeamento, três dos participantes concluíram a tarefa mais rapidamente quando na presença do arranjo. Na situação de escolha, dois participantes apresentaram preferência pela alternativa com arranjo, enquanto dois distribuíram suas escolhas igualmente entre as duas alternativas. Três dos quatro participantes apresentaram um número de erros bastante reduzido e relativamente bem distribuído dentre as alternativas. A alternativa com arranjo instrucional mostrou ser uma opção preferível, sob o ponto de vista do indivíduo com deficiência mental. Além disso, trabalhando na presença do arranjo, os participantes concluíram a tarefa mais rapidamente e mantiveram o número de erros em nível baixo. A escolha foi exercida, portanto, sem prejuízo de seu desempenho nos parâmetros analisados. O estudo contribui para o desenvolvimento de programas de capacitação profissional do deficiente mental severo e traz implicações práticas importantes para o planejamento de ensino para essa população.