Behavioral Allocation in Social Contexts
William Dube

Funded by NICHD, P01 HD046666 Project 4
Co-Investigator: Dr. Rebecca P. F. MacDonald, New England Center for Children

This project applies quantitative analyses of behavioral choice to situations that involve (a) social reinforcers, defined as positively reinforcing events that are mediated by the actions of another person (e.g., attention, approval, affection); and (b) social contexts, defined as those marked by stimuli that are reliable cues for the availability of social reinforcers (e.g., the immediate presence of a familiar person). The goals of the project are to develop methods for maximizing adaptive sensitivity to social reinforcement contingencies and minimize maladaptive behavioral allocations in social contexts. These studies are developing methods for determining individual profiles of contingency sensitivity in social vs. nonsocial contexts. Our hypothesis is that adaptive behavior is maximized when sensitivity is unaffected by context shifts. We will test this hypothesis by examining the acquisition of new behavior in social vs. nonsocial contexts with individuals who have a range of social-reinforcer profiles. We will also investigate procedures for improving maladaptive profiles in both social and nonsocial contexts, and the subsequent effects of improvements on learning. A second set of studies is examining social reinforcer function in relation to deficits in the development of joint attention in young children with autism spectrum disorders. Joint attention refers to the use of gestures, verbalizations, and gaze shifts to coordinate attention with another person in order to share the experience of an object or event. The research is (a) examining correlations between quantitative measures of preference and sensitivity for social reinforcers and the results of assessments of joint attention initiation, and (b) developing training procedures that target specific behavioral prerequisites for joint attention initiation.

This project focuses specifically on motivational and behavioral difficulties in individuals with developmental disabilities. We expect the research to extend the use of quantitative analyses of behavioral allocation to bear on social/non-social aspects of reinforcer quality in individuals with mental retardation and autism spectrum disorders. The research will also advance the evolution of instructional delivery systems that provide effective, individualized motivational support for individuals with developmental disabilities.