This application seeks support for a five-year study of learning processes in mentally retarded children. The focus will be on analysis of persistent discrimination learning problems that are frequently observed in this population. The overall goals of the program are to (a) increase basic understanding of why these problems occur and (b) devise effective solutions to them. The studies will focus on simple and conditional discrimination procedures like those used in special education settings. Particular emphasis will be placed on development and extension of highly promising procedures that have emerged from our recent research.
The Specific Aims of the proposed program are to: (1) determine the relationship of certain subject and training variables to the persistence of undesired stimulus control in discrimination learning; (2) analyze variables that may be critical to the success of procedures that cull out desired stimulus control from a baseline that also includes undesired control; (3) determine whether failures of stimulus control transfer with """"""""errorless"""""""" teaching procedures might be due to unmeasured competing stimulus control rather than to exclusive reliance on prompting stimuli during the transfer procedure; (4) examine the usefulness of novel procedures for evaluating stimulus-stimulus relations and generalized relational stimulus control; (5) time permitting, evaluate a possible relationship between subject and training variables and the degree to which mentally retarded individuals can discriminate stimuli correlated with different reinforcement densities and work requirements; and (6) to compare generalization results after training with either standard discrimination training procedures or those designed to minimize acquisition of unwanted stimulus control.

Agency
National Institute of Health (NIH)
Institute
Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health & Human Development (NICHD)
Type
Research Project (R01)
Project #
5R01HD028141-04
Application #
2200903
Study Section
Human Development and Aging Subcommittee 3 (HUD)
Project Start
1991-09-01
Project End
1996-08-31
Budget Start
1994-09-01
Budget End
1995-08-31
Support Year
4
Fiscal Year
1994
Total Cost
Indirect Cost
Name
Eunice Kennedy Shriver Center Mtl Retardatn
Department
Type
DUNS #
City
Waltham
State
MA
Country
United States
Zip Code
02254
McIlvane, William J; Kledaras, Joanne B; Callahan, T C et al. (2002) High-probability stimulus control topographies with delayed S+ onset in a simultaneous discrimination procedure. J Exp Anal Behav 77:189-98
McIlvane, W J; Dube, W V (1996) Naming as a facilitator of discrimination. J Exp Anal Behav 65:267-72
McIlvane, W J; Kledaras, J B; Iennaco, F M et al. (1995) Some possible limits on errorless discrimination reversals in individuals with severe mental retardation. Am J Ment Retard 99:430-6
Zygmont, D M; Lazar, R M; Dube, W V et al. (1992) Teaching arbitrary matching via sample stimulus-control shaping to young children and mentally retarded individuals: a methodological note. J Exp Anal Behav 57:109-17
McIlvane, W J; Kledaras, J B; Lowry, M J et al. (1992) Studies of exclusion in individuals with severe mental retardation. Res Dev Disabil 13:509-32