Adaptive Behavioral Changes Research Articles

Deinstitutionalization of Persons with Mental Retardation: Behavioral Outcomes

This article examines experimental/contrast group and longitudinal studies of the changes in adaptive behavior associated with moving from state institutions to small (15 or fewer people) community living arrangements for persons with mental retardation. It reviews 15 research reports, including 18 separate studies with 1358 subjects that met specific criterion for design and recency. It summarizes outcomes in the areas of overall adaptive behavior, seven specific domains of adaptive behavior, and overall problem behavior. All eight of the experimental/contrast group studies, and 5 of the 10 longitudinal studies reported statistically significant improvement in either overall adaptive behavior or in the basic self-help/domestic domain associated with movement to the community. All 18 studies reported at least some improvement for groups moving from institutions to community living arrangements.

Relationships of Steroid Hormones and Polygyny to Territorial Status, Breeding Experience, and Reproductive Success in Male Red-Winged Blackbirds

Relationships of Steroid Hormones and Polygyny to Territorial Status, Breeding Experience, and Reproductive Success in Male Red-Winged Blackbirds

The effects of deinstitutionalisation on people with mental handicaps: A REVIEW

ABSTRACTThe deinstitutionalisation of people with mental handicaps has given rise to a considerable literature regarding the effects of this policy on service users. This review describes the major findings in relation to changes in adaptive behaviour, activity levels, social interaction, community integration, disruptive behaviour, and quality of life. Individual and environmental influences are discussed, together with possible foci for future research.

A Matched Comparison Study of Cost-Effectiveness: Institutionalized and Deinstitutionalized People

Seventy people with mental retardation who had moved from a large state institution to small community living arrangements were matched with 70 people who remained at the same institution. They were matched by sex, level of retardation, years institutionalized, self-care skills, age, and IQ. Developmental growth, operationally defined as adaptive behavior change using a research version of the AAMD Adaptive Behavior Scale, was measured for all people; only those people who had been deinstitutionalized demonstrated significant growth. They also received more services. Subsequently, telephone surveys and other procedures were used to identify the inclusive public costs associated with the two groups. Upon comparison, the deinstitutionalized group required less public money than the institutionalized group, although the financial burden shifted substantially from federal sources to state (and local) funding sources when people moved from the institution to community-based facilities. Correlates of costs in the community were explored in a preliminary way.

An Alternative to the Institution for Young People with Severely Handicapping Conditions in a Rural Community

A rural deinstitutionalization project for young people who experience multiple handicaps and exhibit maladaptive behavior is described. The problems associated with rural service delivery and residential services for young people with problem behaviors are discussed. Measures of adaptive behavior change, maladaptive behavior, daily activities, and consumer satisfaction indicate that young people can be successfully deinstitutionalized regardless of their skill level, their behavior problems, or the geographic nature of their receiving region.

Change in Self-Concepts of Children With Learning Difficulties During a Residential Camp Experience

The relationship between self-concept and sensorimotor function was explored in a quasi-experimental pretest-posttest design in which the Piers-Harris Children's Self-Concept Scale was administered to 16 children with learning difficulties. Test-retest reliability (temporal stability) was statistically supported. Statistically significant gains were made in the group's mean posttest score. Although conclusions were limited by design and sample size, it was suggested that the changes in self-concept are related to changes in body image and adaptive behavior due to the therapeutic camp program.

Effects of exercise on the physical fitness, intelligence, and adaptive behavior of institutionalized mentally retarded adults

The effects of a seven-month aerobic-type exercise program on physical fitness and intelligence of institutionalized adult mentally retarded persons were evaluated. Sixty-five subjects, matched on IQ, CA, and sex, were assigned randomly to exercise (PF), attention control (AC), and nonintervention control (C) groups. PF and AC groups participated in 139 training sessions, three hours per day, five days per week. The exercise consisted of running/jogging, calisthenics, and circuit training; those in the AC groups received a special education program; the C group continued their normal institutional training programs. Cardiovascular efficiency improved in the PF group. IQ and adaptive behavior did not improve as a result of any treatment. Even though standardized tests reflected little change in adaptive behavior of participants, subjective reports suggest PF training may serve as an effective habilitation program for many institutionalized mentally retarded adults.

Effect of destruction of basolateral nuclei of the amygdala on the character of electrical activity of the dorsomedial thalamic nucleus in rats

Characteristics of slow global and of unit activity in the dorsomedial thalamic nucleus were studied at various times after destruction of nuclei of the basolateral amygdala in semichronic experiments on anesthetized rats. Destruction of this kind was found to cause periodic transformation of the neuronal discharge into rhythmic bursts of spikes, and into the development of bursts of paroxysmal activity in the form of groups of four to six pointed waves with a mean duration of 60.5±20.6 msec, appearing with a frequency of 1.5±0.3 Hz. A change in the coefficient of correlation was found between the duration of bursts and their frequency during the 20–22-sec period of their generation. Interference was demonstrated between bursts and orthodromic focal potentials, evoked by stimulation of the anterior periamygdalar cortex and anterior amygdalar region. Neurons were described with long (up to 1 sec) responses to stimulation of the periamygdalar cortex and amygdalar region, in the form of regular bursts of spikes or tonic activation, correlating with the appearance of a rhythmic after-discharge. Bursts of this kind, which were most marked during the first 3 or 4 days after destruction of the basolateral amygdala, were observed to begin to disappear toward the end of the first postoperative week. It is suggested that one mechanism of the change in the adaptive behavior of animals with destruction of the amygdala is a disturbance, linked with the bursts, of the relay and integrative functions of the dorsomedial thalamic nucleus.

Predator-Prey Interaction between Largemouth Bass and Bluegills as Influenced by Simulated, Submersed Vegetation

Data from the literature suggest that predatory success declines as habitat complexity increases. To explain this phenomenon, we studied the predator-prey interaction between largemouth bass Micropterus salmoides and bluegills Lepomis macrochirus in four laboratory pools (2.4–3.0 m diameter, 0.7 m deep), each with a different density (0, 50, 250, 1,000 stems/m2) of artificial plant stems. Behavior was quantified for both predator and prey during largemouth bass feeding bouts lasting 60 minutes. Predation success (number of captures) by largemouth bass was similar at 0 and 50 stems/m2, then declined to near zero at 250 and 1,000 stems/m2. As stem density increased, predator activity declined due to a decrease in behaviors associated with visual contact with prey. Reduced predation success by largemouth bass in habitats of increased complexity apparently is related to increases in visual barriers provided by plant stems as well as to adaptive changes in bluegill behavior.

Plasticity in Synaptic Transmission and Changes of Membrane-Bound Protein Phosphorylation

Neural plasticity is the ability of the nervous system of changing its activity as a result of previous experience or of making adaptive changes after destruction of certain of its parts. Learning processes which become apparent as adaptive changes in behavior are the most essential manifestations of the plasticity of the nervous system. A question of great interest for neurobiologists is: which are the plastic changes in the nervous system that are responsible for learning? An important line of research in this sense is represented by the studies of changes in neural activity in relatively simple nervous systems at both the behavioral and the physiological level, as reviewed by Kandel. This chapter discusses some aspects of another research line within the same field—namely, the investigation of the process of long-term potentiation (LTP) which may be considered to constitute a model of a learning process at the synaptic level. This phenomenon consists of the enhancement of synaptic activity that occurs for a long period of time—that is, for some hours, after a period of electrical stimulation at relatively high frequencies or tetanization.

Influence of β-lipotropin fragments on responsiveness of rats to electric footshock

Subcutaneous administration of graded doses of neuropeptides related to lipotropin (βLPH) changed responsiveness of rats to electric footschock. γ-Endorphin and related peptides increased the susceptibility of rats, whereas β-endorphin induced a reversed effect. The enhanced responsiveness induced by DTγE, persisted for more than 24 hr and appeared to be of a central origin. Structure-activity relationship studies revealed that the sequence LPH 65–69 may contain the active core in this respect. An increased sensitivity to electric shock within one test procedure was observed with DTγE and α-endorphin. Prior experience with the test procedure diminished or abolished this effect of α-endorphin. It is suggested that β-endorphin and its fragments play a physiological role in adaptive behavioral changes induced by peripheral stimuli.

Sensory extinction and sensory reinforcement principles for programming multiple adaptive behavior change.

The role of sensory reinforcement was examined in programming multiple treatment gains in self-stimulation and spontaneous play for developmentally disabled children. Two phases were planned. First, we attempted to identify reinforcers maintaining self-stimulation. Sensory Extinction procedures were implemented in which auditory, proprioceptive, or visual sensory consequences of self-stimulatory behavior were systematically removed and reintroduced in a reversal design. When self-stimulation was decreased or eliminated as a result of removing one of these sensory consequences, the functional sensory consequence was designated as a child's preferred sensory reinforcer. In Phase 2, we assessed whether children would play selectively with toys producing the preferred kind of sensory stimulation. The results showed the following. (1) Self-stimulatory behavior was found to be maintained by sensory reinforcement. When the sensory reinforcer was removed, self-stimulation extinguished. (2) The sensory reinforcers identified for self-stimulatory behavior also served as reinforcers for new, appropriate toy play. (3) The multiple treatment gains observed appeared to be relatively durable in the absence of external reinforcers for play or restraints on self-stimulation. These results illustrate one instance in which multiple behavior change may be programmed in a predictable, lawful fashion by using "natural communities of sensory reinforcement."

An ethological view of human adolescence.

In modern times the essential "normality" of adolescence has been acknowledged. With its pan-cultural and functional perspective, ethology is in a position to elaborate a description of normal human adolescence. Ethologists attempt to elucidate four interrelated aspects of a given behavior: its survival function, evolution, development, and elicitation by internal and external factors. The basic research strategy is two-fold: to identify biologically based, or evolved, behaviors (chiefly by controlling for the effects of experience and seeing if a core of evolved behavior remains); and to discover their functions by isolating the necessary and sufficient ecological conditions for their evolution. Applying this evolutionary analysis to human adolescence, we find that two developments seem to be basic: reproductive maturation and gaining independence from parents. The remainder of the article is an interpretation of various behavioral, morphological, and cultural data in accordance with these two developmental functions. Puberty seems to be timed so as to promote these functions most effectively. Pubertal changes parallel somatic growth and are delayed by poor nutrition, disease, and psychological stress--patterns consistent with functional considerations. The influence of natural selection on the sequencing of pubertal events is also emphasized. The role of pubertal hormones in altering behavior as well as morphology is illustrated. The adolescent gains independence from his parents by means of maturation and sex differentiation. Males become specialized for vigorous exertion, and females for work near the settlement--although considerable overlap in morphological and behavioral tendencies exists between the sexes. Various examples of sex differentiation demonstrates how morphological, behavioral, and cultural factors complement each other. Adolescent initiation rites help channel boys and girls into appropriate adult roles, teach respect for one's culture, and favor the fittest individuals. Hopi rites of passage are described as an example. Reproductive maturation likewise involves adaptive morphological and behavioral changes that are reinforced by cultural mores. Males rely on intimidation more than females, in order to dominate other males and attract females; contrariwise, females employ an endearment strategy more than males do. Many sex differences in human reproductive behavior can be explained with reference to man's parental behavior pattern. These include the male's greater aggressiveness, the preponderance of polygyny over polyandry, and differences in the antecedents of jealousy. Lastly, the need for an ethological understanding of adolescence is underscored as promising to offer a useful perspective on the problems of U.S. youth.

Changes in adaptive behavior in institutionalized retardates in response to environmental enrichment or deprivation.

Changes in adaptive behavior in institutionalized retardates in response to environmental enrichment or deprivation.