Northup, J., Fusilier, I., Swanson, V., Huete, J., Bruce, T., Freeland, J., Gulley, V., & Edwards, S. (1999).
Further analysis of the separate and interactive effects of methylphenidate and common classroom contingencies.
Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis,
32, 35-50.
We evaluated
separate and interactive effects between common classroom
contingencies and methylphenidate (MPH) on disruptive and off-task
behaviors for 4 children with a diagnosis of attention deficit
hyperactivity disorder. Analogue conditions consisting of
contingent teacher reprimands, brief time-out, no interaction, and
alone were conducted in a multielement design. Medication status
(MPH or placebo) was alternated across days in a superordinate
multielement design. Results indicate that (a) the behavioral
effects of MPH were influenced by one or more of the analogueue
conditions for each participant, and (b) time-out was associated
with zero or near-zero levels of both disruptive and off-task
behavior for 3 of the 4 participants during MPH and placebo
conditions. Implications for the clinical effectiveness of MPH and
possible behavioral mechanisms of action of MPH in applied
settings are discussed.
DESCRIPTORS: methylphenidate, attention deficit hyperactivity
disorder, disruptive behavior, drug-behavior interactions,
behavioral pharmacology, functional analysis