Comparative Study of Reinforcing Stimuli: Imitative Responses and General Behavior of Two Retarded Adults

Abstract

In successive series of experimental sessions with two severely retarded adults, different stimuli were used to reinforce the imitation of different modeled actions. Five further actions were also modeled but the imitation of these was not reinforced. These generalized imitation responses were nevertheless imitated. Although imitation generalized to these specific responses other non-specific behaviors of the model were not imitated. The subjects' behavior showed marked changes with changes of the reinforcer even though the model's general behavior remained the same. Thus reinforcing stimuli, in addition to their known effect on the reinforced response, also affected in specific ways the general behavior of the subjects.