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Biomedical subjects

F C Mace

Publications and source records attributed to F C Mace.

40 records · Page 3Linked to original sources

The role of reinforcement in reactive self-monitoring.

The role of reinforcement in reactive self-monitoring was investigated. Subjects for this study were three mentally retarded adults employed in a sheltered workshop. Changes in productivity rates in a party hat assembly task across experimental conditions (reinforcements, self-monitoring, and self-monitoring plus reinforcement) were evaluated. Findings showed that while reinforcement alone increased productivity, it was to a lesser degree and with less consistency than when combined with self-monitoring. In addition, self-monitoring alone did not increase productivity. These results support the Rachlin and Nelson and Hayes hypotheses that reactive effects of self-monitoring are dependent upon environmental contingencies. The results also showed that self-monitoring increases the salience of reinforcement.

Adult↗

Functional analysis and treatment of severe pica.

A two-phase functional analysis of a profoundly retarded 19-year-old male's pica facilitated the design of an effective intervention containing no aversive components. In the first analysis, frequent staff-client interaction resulted in 25% and 66% less pica than limited and no interaction, respectively. Paradoxical effects were obtained in the second analysis, where no protective helmet resulted in 38% and 26% less pica than the helmet with face shield and helmet without face shield, respectively. On the basis of these analyses, limited interaction and no helmet conditions were combined in an effective, staff-implemented treatment at a medium-sized institution.

Adult↗

Effectiveness of brief time-out with and without contingent delay: a comparative analysis.

We evaluated a commonly used component of brief time-out, in which release from time-out is delayed contingent on the occurrence of disruption. Data were collected for one normal and two mentally retarded children on time-out-producing behaviors (aggression and disruption) as well as delay-producing behaviors during time-out (loud vocalizations, out-of-chair, aggression, and disruption). The results of a combination ABAC reversal and multiple-baseline design indicated that, under the conditions used in this investigation, both delay and no delay variations were effective in reducing the frequency of the target behaviors. Implications for the use of time-out to reduce aberrant behaviors are discussed.

Adolescent↗

A preliminary investigation of three issues pertaining to a common behavioral treatment for nocturnal enuresis.

Two adolescent brothers exhibiting nocturnal enuresis since birth participated in this multiple case study examining the successful application of a modified alarm and pad procedure with a deaf youth and the generalization of effects to an initially untreated, non-hearing impaired sibling. A description of the treatment program and the explicit statement of an avoidance contingency prior to intervention resulted in a rapid and marked increase in percentage of dry nights in both cases, with further increases observed following implementation of an alarm and pad plus accident correction procedure in conjunction with self-monitoring. Treatment gains were maintained at a 10-month follow-up.

Adolescent↗