Observing behavior and atypically restricted stimulus control

Abstract

Restricted stimulus control refers to discrimination learning with atypical limitations in the range of controlling stimuli or stimulus features. In the study reported here, 4 normally capable individuals and 10 individuals with intellectual disabilities (ID) performed two-sample delayed matching to sample. Sample-stimulus observing was recorded with an eye-tracking apparatus. High accuracy scores indicated stimulus control by both sample stimuli for the 4 nondisabled participants and 4 participants with ID, and eye tracking data showed reliable observing of all stimuli. Intermediate accuracy scores indicated restricted stimulus control for the remaining 6 participants. Their eye-tracking data showed that errors were related to failures to observe sample stimuli and relatively brief observing durations. Five of these participants were then given interventions designed to improve observing behavior. For 4 participants, the interventions resulted initially in elimination of observing failures, increased observing durations, and increased accuracy. For 2 of these participants, contingencies sufficient to maintain adequate observing were not always sufficient to maintain high accuracy; subsequent procedure modifications restored it, however. For the 5th participant, initial improvements in observing were not accompanied by improved accuracy, an apparent instance of observing without attending; accuracy improved only after an additional intervention that imposed contingencies on observing behavior. Thus, interventions that control observing behavior seem necessary but may not always be sufficient for the remediation of restricted stimulus control.

Keywords: humans; matching to sample; observing behavior; restricted stimulus control; stimulus overselectivity; touchscreen.

Fig 1

Distribution of number of observations per trial during initial Baseline sessions. Rightmost columns labeled “6+” show percent of trials with six or more observations.

Fig 2

Observing durations for sample stimuli that subsequently appeared as correct comparison stimuli. The distributions in the left and right portions of each panel show trials with correct and error responses, respectively. Solid and dashed horizontal lines within each distribution show mean and median durations, respectively. The data are from trials during the initial baseline sessions on which the participant observed both sample stimuli.