Four speech deficient mentally retarded children (3-5 years old) with Down's Syndrome were taught imitative verbal responses by two methods based on operant conditioning principles. (Author/CL)

An introductory framework for analyzing and modifying classroom behavior...is followed by presentation of illustrative case materials, discussion of philosophical and ethical issues, analysis of pitfalls to be avoided, and consideration of limitations inherent in behavioral approaches. (Author)

Available from: Psychonomic Society, 1108 W. 34th Street, Austin, Texas 78705. Studied with 10 learning disabled children (5-9 years old) was the development of self-management skills without direct teacher supervision through the use of operant reinforcement procedures. (IM)

Two studies were performed comparing the effectiveness of fixed-ratio (FR) and variable-ratio (VR) schedules of punishment during application and extinction. Subjects were two young children. Both studies found significant positive "side effects" of punishment in terms of increased play and social behavior as well as increased performance of…

While tripling the campus size of Alvin Community College in Texas, architects and engineers cut back on nonessential lighting, recaptured waste heat, insulated everything possible, and let energy considerations dictate the size and shape of the building. (Author/MLF)

Investigates the possibility that memory for the conditioned response (CR) may be subject to the same sorts of interference that have been found to operate in verbal and perceptual-motor memory situations. Considers the implications for developing a general theory of memory. (Editor/RK)

Because community libraries are becoming centers of suburban and "exurban" activity, quiet study rooms are being constructed for customers intent on concentrated study. Discusses functional (size, location, furniture) and physical (acoustic, heating, ventilation, air conditioning, lighting, electronic support) considerations of quiet…

Investigated whether women undergoing outpatient chemotherapy for breast cancer can develop classically conditioned emotional distress. Patients' responses to a distinctive stimulus were assessed in a location not associated with chemotherapy administration. Results supported hypothesis that pairing a distinctive stimulus with chemotherapy would…

Evaluated the ability of propranolol hydrochloride to enhance results achieved with relaxation-biofeedback training. Results suggest that concomitant propranolol therapy (CPT) significantly enhanced the effectiveness of relaxation-biofeedback training. CPT also yielded larger reductions in analgesic use and greater improvements in quality-of-life…

Reviews the literature on the relation between early memory development and corresponding changes in brain development of infants. Finds that an adult-like form of explicit memory emerges between 8 and 12 months of age, drawing heavily on limbic and cortical structures. Offers theoretical perspectives for studying the ontogeny of memory. (JW)

This article reviews applications of the applied behavior analysis ideas of B. F. Skinner and others to persons with both mental retardation and emotional disturbance. The review examines implications of behavior analysis for operant conditioning and radical behaviorism, schedules of reinforcement, and emotion and mental illness. (DB)

This paper describes a project of Communidad Los Horcones (Mexico), dealing with alternatives to contrived or artificial reinforcement. The paper proposes the use of natural reinforcement, which can be individualized and received without the mediation of another person and which contributes to making the natural consequences of behavior…

This commentary on EC 603 646, a paper describing a natural reinforcement project of Communidad Los Horcones (Mexico), argues that natural reinforcement is best when the learning objective produces a natural reinforcer and when the natural reinforcer is more powerful than any competing punishers inherent in the task or reinforcers for competing…

This study evaluated eye-blink conditioning in 11 persons with autism (ages 11 to 22). Compared to matched controls, persons with autism learned the task faster but performed short-latency, high-amplitude conditioned responses. Results suggest this population has the ability to rapidly associate paired stimuli but may have impairments in…