Objective: Mobile health apps hold potential to support and reinforce positive health behaviours, especially among young people with chronic diseases like asthma that require continual self-management. We aimed to gain feedback from adolescents with asthma on two existing asthma self-management apps to guide the development of an evidence- and…

Five participants with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) between the ages of 10 and 14 years attended a twice-weekly social skills group for 8 weeks. A multiple probe design across skills with concurrent replication across participants was utilized to assess the effects of social skills training using multiple exemplars and lag schedules on social…

"Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder" (ADHD) is one of the most prevalent disorders in school-age children. Children with ADHD often have difficulty at school and at home. Medication is a common treatment for children with ADHD; however, it has been shown to be more effective when combined with behavioral interventions.…

Developmental neuroscience models suggest that changes in responsiveness to incentives contribute to increases in adolescent risk behavior, including substance use. Trajectories of sensitivity to reward (SR) and sensitivity to punishment (SP) were examined and tested as predictors of escalation of early substance use in a community sample of…

Because learned associations are quickly renewed following extinction, the extinction process must include processes other than unlearning. However, reinforcement learning models, such as the temporal difference reinforcement learning (TDRL) model, treat extinction as an unlearning of associated value and are thus unable to capture renewal. TDRL…

Play is, by definition, internally motivated, flexible, spontaneous and voluntary. Yet some researchers claim to have taught children with autism to play using behavioural interventions that are heavily structured, repetitive and make use of external reinforcements. In the current systematic review, we examine the extent to which these claims are…

Although the immediate effect of token reinforcement programs may be positive, the longer range consequences may result in an actual decrease in the behavior desired. (EH)

Objections to the use of tangible reinforcers, such as prizes, candy, cigarettes, and money, are discussed. Treatment programs using tangible reinforcers are recommended as powerful modifers of behavior to be implemented only after less powerful means of modification have been tried. (Author)

Cites seven books as adequate source material, considers methods to implement behavior control, reports on several successful applications with both emotionally disturbed and physically handicapped. Extensive references. (CJ)

Teachers' responses to question: "What could your school district do for you to convince you to adopt a new, more difficult, but presumably more effective teaching procedure?" included reduction in class size, more money, clerical help, and released time. (RT)

Reports on attempts to apply certain techniques of learning theory, including the use of social and tangible reinforcers, a token economy system, point exchange system, and a chart system. (Author)

Basic ideas of reinforcement may be more easily applied in the classroom if three common teacher errors: noncontingent reinforcement, ambiguity of rules, and restriction of earnings, are avoided. (Author/SDH)

Examines three troublesome questions concerning the effects of behavior modification: (1) what other conditionings may occur besides the simple one desired, (2) what type of personality modification is taking place along with behavior modification, and (3) what type of society will result when it consists of individuals trained in this manner?…

This research was supported by Research Grant No. 30-200-50, Indiana University Foundation, Indiana University.