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Biomedical subjects

F Frankel

Publications and source records attributed to F Frankel.

27 records · Page 2Linked to original sources
PubMed1978

The effect of environmental stimulation upon the stereotyped behavior of autistic children.

Two groups of three autistic children, equated for chronological age but differing in IQ and performance MA, were observed for 20-minute sessions. Total duration of time subjects engaged in stereotyped behavior was recorded for each minute. During minutes 6--15, subjects were provided with either minimal or high environmental stimulation. High environmental stimulation was found to increase the mean duration of time the low-IQ group engaged in stereotyped behavior but to decrease the duration for the high-IQ group. The theoretical implications are discussed.

Acoustic Stimulation↗
PubMed1976

The effects of response contingent vestibular stimulation on the behavior of autistic and retarded children.

The purpose of the present experiment was to examine the reinforcing effects of repetitive vestibular stimulation. While both autistic and retarded children would push a button for vestibular stimulation, frequency of stimulation was an important parameter for autistics but not for retardates. These results were interpreted as evidence for central rather than peripheral locus of control of motility disturbances in autistic children.

Autistic Disorder↗
PubMed1976

The effects of fluorescent and incandescent illumination upon repetitive behaviors in autistic children.

Repetitive behaviors of six autistic children were observed under two conditions of background illumination. During two sessions, the room was illuminated by fluorescent light and during two other sessions, by equal intensity incandescent light. Subjects spent significantly more time engaged in repetitive behavior under fluorescent light. Previous research suggested that these findings were related to the flickering nature of fluorescent ilumination. Practical and theoretical implications were discussed. Further experimentation was suggested to assess relationships between flickering illumination and arousal.

Arousal↗
PubMed1976

Self-injurious behavior in schizophrenic and retarded children.

Self-injurious behavior is a problem with some children who are primarily nonverval and low-functioning. This behavior has resulted in management difficulties far out of proportion to its incidence. In the present paper, we have considered possible operant and respondent paradigms instrumental in the acquisition and maintenance of several different topographies of self-injurious behavior. Support for these paradigms was gathered from existing epidemiological literature dealing with humans and primates and from the literature concerned with treatment of self-injurious behavior. Immediate outcome and results of subsequent follow-up were presented as a function of type of intervention, the nature of positive reinforcement utilized, and the topography of the self-injurious response involved. Implications were drawn for future research and treatment.

Attention↗
PubMed1976

Effects of frequency of photic stimulation upon autistic and retarded children.

The present study was designed to determine if frequency of repetitive photic stimulation could affect the response rate of an operant upon which such stimulation was made contingent. To test this hypothesis, we trained retarded and autistic children, equated for mental age, to pull a lever to obtain photic stimulation of different frequencies. It was found that (a) response rates of autistic children were related to the frequency of stimulation, while retarded children showed no such consistency. (b) The two groups did not differ in the average duration of time they engaged in stereotypies. (c) During a subsequent extinction session, two autistic children ceased responding, but one of two retarded children did not. (d) Noncontingent photic stimulation suppressed a food-motivated operant in one autistic child. These results were interpreted as evidence for frequency-dependent properties of repetitive visual feedback in autistic children. In addition, support was given to the position that performance deficits in autistic children correlating with the occurrence of stereotypies result from competition of different sources of reinforcement.

Age Factors↗
PubMed1976

Systematic observation of classroom behavior of retarded and autistic preschool children.

Two groups of 6 children, previously diagnosed as autistic and mentally retarded, were observed for seven 20-minute sessions. The following environmental parameters were manipulated: teacher-to-child ratio, presence of food reinforcement, and skill area being presented. Behavior under observation fell into 3 classes: (a) adaptive performance (percentage response and percentage correct), (b) attention, and (c) maladaptive behavior. Results suggested that (a) food reinforcement and the 1:1 teacher-to-child ratio may not generally enhance adaptive performance but may have an effect upon attention and tantrum behavior; (b) attention to task is more predictive of adaptive behavior than attention to teacher; and (c) interactions were generally lacking between the above parameters and diagnostic group, while level of functioning did show such interactions. The present results support the practice of individual behavioral assessment of autistic and retarded children. The present procedure, coupled with statistical analysis for individual subjects, may provide educational prescriptions for individual children.

Aptitude↗