Department of Psychology, Utah State University, USA.
Department of Special Education and Rehabilitation, Utah State University, USA.
J Exp Anal Behav. 2020 May;113(3):495-514. doi: 10.1002/jeab.591. Epub 2020 Mar 18.
Although individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) tend to behave repetitively, certain reinforcement contingencies (e.g., lag schedules) can be used to increase behavioral variability. In a lag schedule, reinforcers only follow responses that differ from recent responses. The present study was designed to promote variable play behavior in preschoolers with ASD interacting with playsets and figurines and to assess preference for variability and repetition contingencies. Data have shown a preference for variability in pigeons and college students, but this effect has not been explored in clinical populations. In this experiment, preschoolers with ASD were taught to discriminate between variability and repetition contingencies. Only play behaviors that met a lag schedule were reinforced in the presence of one color, and only repetitive behaviors were reinforced in the presence of another. After differential performance was established, participants experienced a concurrent chains schedule. Participants chose between the colors taught in training and then completed a play session with the selected contingency. One participant selected variability and repetition equally. The other participants showed a slight preference for variability. These results indicate that some individuals with ASD may play repetitively, not because they prefer repetition, but because they require additional teaching to play variably.
尽管自闭症谱系障碍（ASD）患者倾向于重复行为，但某些强化偶联（例如，滞后时间表）可以用于增加行为变异性。在滞后时间表中，强化物仅在反应与最近的反应不同时出现。本研究旨在促进与游乐套装和人偶互动的 ASD 学龄前儿童的可变游戏行为，并评估对变异性和重复性偶联的偏好。数据表明，鸽子和大学生更喜欢变异性，但这种效应尚未在临床人群中得到探索。在这个实验中，ASD 学龄前儿童被教导区分变异性和重复性偶联。只有符合滞后时间表的游戏行为在一种颜色下得到强化，而只有重复性行为在另一种颜色下得到强化。在建立了差异化表现后，参与者体验了同时进行的连锁计划。参与者在训练中选择所学的颜色，然后用所选的偶联完成游戏环节。一个参与者选择了变异性和重复性。其他参与者则略微偏好变异性。这些结果表明，一些 ASD 患者可能会重复游戏，不是因为他们喜欢重复，而是因为他们需要额外的教学才能进行可变游戏。
