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Biomedical subjects

K D Allen

Publications and source records attributed to K D Allen.

81 records · Page 5Linked to original sources
PubMed1985

Eliminating selective stimulus control: a comparison of two procedures for teaching mentally retarded children to respond to compound stimuli.

Selective stimulus control occurs when behavior fails to come under control of all characteristics of a compound stimulus after discrimination training. Two different assessment procedures, one used in prior research and the other incorporating incorrect stimuli (S - 's) which differed minimally from the correct stimulus (S+), were used to detect stimulus control deficits characteristic of selective stimulus control. The efficacy of two training procedures in eliminating selective stimulus control observed with three trainable mentally retarded children was evaluated in Experiment 1. A training procedure using S - 's that were minimally different from the S+ was designed to reduce the probability that stimulus discriminations could be based on stimulus characteristics other than experimenter-specified characteristics defining the S+. This procedure proved more effective in preventing and eliminating selective stimulus control as measured by both assessment procedures than an alternate discrimination training procedure that failed to impact the more stringent measures of selective stimulus control. Experiment 2 indicated that these improvements in stimulus control were not a function of varying degrees of difficulty between stimulus sets or of a prior history of discrimination training with the less effective training procedure. The need for better assessment procedures to detect selective stimulus control and suggestions for further improvements in discrimination training procedures are discussed.

Adolescent↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Evaluation of behavior management technology dissemination in pediatric dentistry.

A survey of the behavior management practices of pediatric dentistry diplomates was conducted. One hundred sixty respondents reported the frequency of use of 15 different management practices. Results show preference for traditional management practices, such as hand-over-mouth, tell-show-do, sedation, and restraint, over newer technology such as live modeling, filmed modeling, contingent distraction, or contingent rewards. Respondents reported management difficulties with nearly one in four children seen and reported the need for alternative, safe, effective management techniques. Reasons are discussed for reliance on traditional management techniques and methods for increasing exposure to newer management technology.

Behavior Therapy↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Reinforced practice of children's cooperative behavior during restorative dental treatment.

A reinforced practice procedure was employed to teach cooperative behaviors to two 36-month-old children undergoing restorative dental treatment. The children were rewarded with temporary escape, praise, and stickers for practicing the use of cooperative behavior in the presence of the sights, sounds, and some of the sensations of the dental instruments, before the actual dental treatment. Observations of four classes of disruptive behavior during treatment indicated that baseline levels of disruptive behavior, typically greater than 95 percent, were reduced by more than 70 percent, following several practice visits. These changes were acceptable to the dentist--and to his assistant, who rated the children as more cooperative and less anxious.

Anxiety↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Comparing four methods to inform parents about child behavior management: how to inform for consent.

One hundred twenty parents were shown descriptions of eight traditional behavior management techniques via one of four different presentation methods: one of two types of video presentation, an oral presentation, or a written presentation. They were asked whether they felt well informed about each technique and asked for consent to perform any one of the techniques that might be needed with their child. Fisher's exact test found that a written explanation resulted in parents who felt well informed significantly less often than those in the other conditions, while an oral presentation resulted in parents who felt well informed more often than those in the other groups, although this difference was not statistically significant. An analysis of variance (ANOVA) found no significant differences between the four conditions with respect to parents providing consent, however, exact tests found the oral method produced significantly better consent for some individual procedures. More than 60% of the parents considered information about each technique to be material or consequential to their decision to consent. Acceptability was correlated with consent, however, more than 10% of the respondents reported incongruencies between consent and acceptability (high approval ratings without subsequent consent or low approval ratings followed by consent). Overall, the oral method of delivering information to parents about child behavior management techniques was the best method of ensuring that the average parent felt informed and was likely to consent.

Analysis of Variance↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Expanding child behavior management technology in pediatric dentistry: a behavioral science perspective.

Changing attitudes on the part of dentists and parents alike have resulted in increasing interest by dentists to develop additional child behavior management techniques. Collaborative research between dentists and behavioral psychologists has been encouraged by the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry (AAPD) to address these concerns, but additional research is needed. This paper describes three techniques that, from a behavioral science perspective, offer promise for pediatric dentists managing disruptive children. In addition to scientific appeal, these techniques appear to have potential for acceptance and incorporation into the dental operatory. Although early research suggests these procedures can fit easily into routine practice, are time and cost efficient, and are relatively easy to learn, additional research is needed to clearly establish their external validity, cost efficiency, and ease of implementation. The discussion focuses on issues relevant to incorporating new technology into the dental school curriculum and disseminating it to practicing dentists.

Behavior Therapy↗