Autism, Intellectual Disabilities (F70-F79)
Conditions
Keywords
Operant Conditioning, Neurodevelopmental disorders, Behavioral interventions
Brief summary
This study is designed to better understand how certain features of reinforcement affect learning and motivation in individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD). Participants will take part in a series of structured teaching sessions that involve simple tasks and reward-based feedback. By changing the timing and amount of rewards, we aim to learn how these factors influence the ability to acquire and maintain new skills. This information may help improve behavioral interventions for individuals with IDD in the future. The study does not involve medications or procedures intended to change participants' health status.
Detailed description
This study examines how key parameters of reinforcement-specifically the timing and amount of rewards-affect learning, motivation, and performance in individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD). The experimental design is informed by the Mathematical Principles of Reinforcement (MPR), a quantitative framework for understanding the relationship between reinforcement schedules and behavior. Participants will complete tabletop tasks in a controlled setting. Tasks are designed to be simple and accessible, such as pressing a button or selecting a picture, and correct responses will earn small rewards. Across sessions, we will systematically vary reinforcement parameters, including inter-reinforcement interval and reinforcer magnitude, to evaluate their effects on response rate, accuracy, and persistence. This is a Basic Experimental Studies with Humans (BESH) clinical trial, meaning the interventions are intended to understand fundamental behavioral processes, not to produce direct clinical benefit. The data will be analyzed using statistical models derived from MPR to identify which reinforcement dimensions are most effective in maintaining high rates of responding. The results may help refine behavior intervention strategies for individuals with IDD by providing an evidence-based understanding of how to optimize reinforcement delivery.
Interventions
BEHAVIORALOperant Conditioning Tasks with Reinforcement Manipulations
This behavioral intervention involves structured operant conditioning tasks. Reinforcement parameters (e.g., schedule arrangement, magnitude, and probability) are systematically manipulated to evaluate their effects on behavioral allocation. The primary objective is to assess how variations in reinforcement contingencies influence choice patterns. The procedures are designed to examine fundamental behavioral processes rather than to provide therapeutic benefit.
Sponsors
Oakland University
Hugo W. Moser Research Institute at Kennedy Krieger, Inc.
Auburn University
Study design
Allocation
NA
Intervention model
SINGLE_GROUP
Primary purpose
BASIC_SCIENCE
Masking
NONE
Intervention model description
All participants receive the same sequence of experimental conditions. The design allows for within-subject comparisons across phases of the intervention to evaluate changes in operant responding under different schedule arrangements.
Eligibility
Sex/Gender
ALL
Age
6 Years to 17 Years
Healthy volunteers
No
Inclusion criteria
At least 6 years of age Documented neurodevelopmental condition Engagement in problem behavior (e.g., aggression, self-injury, property destruction) that can be measured during study sessions Ability to follow simple instructions Ability to participate in tabletop choice-based tasks Availability to complete all scheduled study sessions Provision of informed consent by participant or legally authorized representative
Exclusion criteria
Severe sensory or motor impairments that would prevent participation in tabletop tasks Current or recent participation (within the past 30 days) in another interventional behavioral research study that could interfere with study outcomes Medical or behavioral conditions judged by investigators to pose a safety risk or interfere with data collection
Design outcomes
Primary
| Measure | Time frame | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Change in rate of behavior across schedules | 3 months | Number of target responses allocated emitted during experimental sessions in which reinforcement parameters (e.g., schedule arrangement, magnitude, and probability) are systematically varied. This measure will be derived from response data recorded during operant conditioning tasks. Changes in allocation patterns will be compared across schedule conditions to assess the effect of reinforcement manipulations. |
Countries
United States
Outcome results
None listed