A response to reviewer comments regarding the manuscript, “Rule-governed behavior and self-control in children with ADHD: A theoretical interpretation”.

Abstract

We appreciate the opportunity to respond to the issues raised in a review of the manuscript, Rule-Governed Behavior and Self-Control in Children with ADHD: A Theoretical Interpretation submitted by Leasha M. Barry and Melissa A. Kelly (this issue). Many of the points brought to light in the review are indeed useful for discussion and provide additional research directions for further model development and testing. Solely Leasha M. Barry authored portions of this response and this will be indicated as such by the use of the pronoun I. Alternately, the final paragraph in this response was a joint effort and reflects the thoughts of both myself and Melissa A. Kelly and is indicated as such by the use of the pronoun we. I will address the reviewer's comments in roughly the same order as they were raised for simplicity. The fruitfulness of attempts to interpret applied research findings in light of theoretical perspectives is identified as a major issue in the review. I will say that this exercise was challenging in light of the theoretical perspectives to date regarding ADHD and the lack of identification of Rule Governed Behavior (RGB) within them. I must assume that this lack of connection between applied research and theoretical (basic) research was the reason that the editors of JEIBI invited me to write the manuscript on this topic specifically. I see no need to defend the parameters of such an invited manuscript further. As to the fruitfulness of the endeavor, or lack there-of, it is my opinion that the development of theoretical models, professional discussion of theoretical models, and the pursuit of both basic and applied research to test these models can be highly fruitful indeed. This is the tradition of experimental research and the progression of knowledge in any scientific field. In the area of ADHD, there is a clear need for such discussion, model development, and testing as we continue to have difficulty treating the disorder and/or symptoms. I agree that a clear operational definition of RGB is necessary prior to embarking on a discussion of the relationship between RGB and theoretical perspectives of ADHD. My attempt at a definition of RGB was to lean on the work of Mather and Goldstein (2001), Rule-governed behavior is behavior that is controlled by verbally mediated rules that describe the contingency between a behavior and consequence without the actual behavior or consequence necessarily being present (paragraph 3 of the manuscript). The reviewer also mentions this work as the closest to date at creating a clear definition. The reviewer's agreement in terms of the most useful current definition available leaves me unclear as to why we are debating it here. This definition of rules and RGB, included in the manuscript, leads me to question the reviewer's repeated argument that rules and RGB must be distinguished from contingencies and contingency shaped behavior. By definition (Mather & Goldstein, 2001), rules are verbally mediated statements that describe a contingency relationship between a behavior and consequence, with or without the actual stimuli being present. In fact, the reviewer later defines rules as contingency statements. If we can agree that rules are in fact synonymous with contingency statements (albeit a specific category of contingency statements in that rules are verbally mediated and specific stimuli need not be present), then many of the repeated issues raised by the reviewer proclaiming a need to distinguish between these ideas can be put to rest. I believe this agreement is possible as the reviewer later acknowledges that some researchers question the distinction between RGB and contingency-shaped behavior. Further the reviewer alternately refers to rules as contingencies when not arguing that the two must be distinguished. I agree that RGB cannot be implicated in diagnosis of ADHD just because children with ADHD have language, are unresponsive to long term rewards, and fail to conform to expectations. …