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Biomedical subjects

G Berkson

Publications and source records attributed to G Berkson.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1987

Stimulation and control as components of stereotyped body rocking.

Severely and profoundly mentally retarded children who engaged in stereotyped body rocking were presented with all possible pairs of three conditions and made a choice as to which they preferred: a rocking chair that rocked freely under the child's control (active stimulation), a rocking chair that provided the same stimulation but was under the experimenter's control (passive stimulation), and a rocking chair that had been immobilized (stationary). Children significantly chose the active stimulation condition over the passive and the passive over the stationary; however, the degree of the effect was associated with developmental level. Results were interpreted as showing that self-stimulation involves at least two independent processes, control and stimulation.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1986

Normal repetitive and abnormal stereotyped behavior of nonretarded infants and young mentally retarded children.

The topographical similarities and differences between repetitive behaviors exhibited by 12 nonretarded infants and 11 severely mentally retarded children were examined. An analysis of stereotyped body-rocking and hand-gazing behavior exhibited by both groups demonstrated topographical differences. The results and methodology of this study may be of value to future investigators examining the ontogenesis of stereotyped behavior and may assist in the early identification and amelioration of these pathological behaviors.

Child Behavior↗
PubMed1986

Effect of intervention techniques in reducing stereotypic hand gazing in young severely disabled children.

Stereotypic hand gazing by very young severely disabled children was investigated. In Study 1 a dramatically increased therapy program substantially reduced a child's hand gazing and augmented his toy manipulation skills. In Study 2 specific interventions were prescribed for two children who were hand gazers and had significant yet correctable visual impairment. Both glasses and toys effectively reduced each child's hand-gazing. Results suggest that stereotypic hand gazing may be eliminated by intervention with very young children.

Behavior Therapy↗
PubMed1986

Analyzing the stimulus properties of objects used in stereotyped behavior.

Ten severely retarded children who engaged in object stereotypies were observed during 10, 1-hour sessions in various contexts of their living and school environments. The percentage of object stereotypies performed and the nature of the objects manipulated were described. For the children as a group, context did not affect the level of object stereotypies, but other stereotypies were performed most often during music sessions. In Study 2 the objects manipulated in a stereotyped manner were presented to six people who were asked to describe the physical dimensions of the object when it was moved. Judges found that most children appeared to respond to flexibility, whereas some children appeared to respond to other feedback. Study 3 was designed to validate the dimensions selected by the judges. Each dimension agreed on by five of the judges in Study 2 was used to construct sets of five objects that varied with respect to that dimension. The children were presented with the set of objects and differential manipulation along the dimension was assessed. The judges' selections were partially validated.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1985

Stereotyped behavior of severely disabled children in classroom and free-play settings.

The relationships between stereotyped behavior, object manipulation, self-manipulation, teacher attention, and various developmental measures were examined in 101 severely developmentally disabled children in their classrooms and a free-play setting. Stereotyped behavior without objects was positively correlated with self-manipulation and CA and was negatively correlated with complex object manipulation, developmental age, developmental quotient, and teacher attention. Stereotyped behavior with objects was negatively correlated with complex object manipulation. Partial correlations showed that age, self-manipulation, and developmental age shared unique variance with stereotyped behavior without objects.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1979

Affiliation and friendship of mentally retarded residents in group homes.

The social behavior of 208 mentally retarded residents in 18 group homes was observed and analyzed in terms of their (a) informal grouping behavior, (b) affiliation, and (c) intense social relationships ("friendships"). Moderately to mildly retarded residents engaged in "social" types of behavior in groups (primarily dyads) and "neutral" types of behavior when alone. In contrast, profoundly retarded residents did not behave differently when others were present, although they did display social types of behavior. Residents' affiliative behavior was not as related to personal characteristics (sex and intelligence) as it was to (a) size of the group home, (b) average intelligence of the residents in the home, (c) sex ratio in the home, and (d) homogeneity of the residents' backgrounds. Although residents in large homes affiliated more extensively with others, intense relationships were as likely in large as in small homes. Sixteen intense friendships were identified and described. In total, the results support the view that the group home environment can influence residents' affiliation and friendship.

Adult↗
PubMed1975

Effects of maternal mobility on the development of rocking and other behaviors in rhesus monkeys: a study with artificial mothers.

Mechanically driven mobile artificial mothers effectively prevented the development of stereotyped body-rocking in rhesus monkeys. Monkeys were maternally separated at birth and assigned to 2 groups. Both groups were placed with surrogates, identical in construction except that for 1 group the surrogate was in motion 50% of the time from 0500 hours to 2400 hours each day, and for the other group the surrogate was stationary. All but 1 of the 10 monkeys raised with stationary artificial mothers developed rocking as an habitual pattern whereas none of the 9 monekys raised with mobile mothers did so. The data also suggest that emotional responsiveness was reduced in monkeys raised with mobile mothers, compared to monkeys raised with stationary devices.

Age Factors↗