A reinforcer assessment was used to determine operant training potential for 15 profoundly mentally retarded people with and without training problems (TP and NTP groups). A modified, standard reinforcer assessment included increased and individualized assessment opportunities. Training was conducted in free operant sessions with a switch designed to activate with minimal effort. Stimuli most and least preferred from the assessment were used as consequences for the responses and alternated in a reversal design. Expert judges determined which stimulus effects replicated across the repeated conditions. Operant training was more likely with people assessed to have reinforcers than those with no reinforcers (Fisher's Exact Test, $p$ =.009). All NTP participants had assessed reinforcers and demonstrated training effects. Two TP participants had reinforcers, and one of them showed training effects. Efforts to increase the believability and replicability of the investigation were emphasized for the dependent variables, independent variables, and adjunct measures having a potential relation to results of the study. Reliability and validity of the Reinforcer Assessment as a testing procedure was discussed. Assessing operant training potential was discussed as "limitation research" and emphasized the need to develop data-based treatment alternatives to improve the lives of persons with low operant training potential. / Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 50-05, Section: A, page: 1254. / Major Professor: Jon S. Bailey. / Thesis (Ph.D.)--The Florida State University, 1989.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:fsu.edu/oai:fsu.digital.flvc.org:fsu_78000 |
| Contributors | Ivancic, Martin Thomas., Florida State University |
| Source Sets | Florida State University |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Text |
| Format | 194 p. |
| Rights | On campus use only. |
| Relation | Dissertation Abstracts International |
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