Choice for reinforced behavioral variability in children with autism spectrum disorder

Abstract

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.

An investigation of resurgence of reinforced behavioral variability in humans

“…For example, children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) tend to behave overly repetitively, even when it would be beneficial to respond variably (American Psychological Association [APA], 2013). Because variability is adaptive in many contexts, increasing behavioral variability is often a treatment goal for individuals with ASD (see Galizio et al, 2020). Therefore, it would be useful to know whether reinforced behavioral variability would reoccur in the face of treatment infidelity or other challenges.…”

“…Further, organisms can learn to behave variably in one context and repetitively in another (e.g., Denney & Neuringer, 1998; Ward et al, 2008). Reinforced behavioral variability may play an important role in processes such as problem solving and creativity (Grunow & Neuringer, 2002) and has been demonstrated across a number of species, including pigeons (e.g., Doughty & Galizio, 2015; Machado, 1997; Odum et al, 2006; Page & Neuringer, 1985), rats (e.g., Cohen et al, 1990; Neuringer, 1991), typically developing adults (e.g., Neuringer, 1986; Ross & Neuringer, 2002), and individuals with autism (e.g., Galizio et al, 2020), indicating that it is a general behavioral phenomenon.…”

Avian models for brain mechanisms underlying altered social behavior in autism

“…The past decade witnessed a tendency for coupled/comparative studies, in which the results obtained from avian and human subjects were jointly analyzed. Most of these studies tackled different behavioral features of diagnostic or therapeutic significance of ASD ( Koshiba et al, 2016 ; Kelley et al, 2017 ; Galizio et al, 2020 ; Shvarts et al, 2020 ). In addition, molecular neuroanatomical studies, carried out on multiple species, including man, have also been reported, e.g., for the comparative localization of FMRP (see above) in the auditory system ( Wang et al, 2014 ).…”

Reinforced behavioral variability in the valproate rat model of autism spectrum disorder

“…Some applications of reinforced behavioral variability principles have already been implemented in individuals with ASD (Rodriguez & Thompson, 2015; Wolfe et al, 2014). For example, children with ASD can learn to vary verbal and play behaviors using lag schedules (Brodhead et al, 2016; Galizio et al, 2020). There is convincing evidence that variability can be increased using reinforcement in both humans and nonhumans.…”