Increasing wearing of prescription glasses in individuals with mental retardation.

Iser G. DeLeon, Louis P. Hagopian, Vanessa Rodriguez-Catter, Lynn G. Bowman, Ethan S. Long, & Eric W. Boelter. (2008). Increasing wearing of prescription glasses in individuals with mental retardation. Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 41, 137-142.

This study evaluated an intervention for promoting wearing of prescription glasses in 4 individuals with mental retardation who had refused to wear their glasses previously. Distraction through noncontingent reinforcement (NCR) increased independent glasses wearing for 1 of the 4 participants. An intervention consisting of NCR, response cost, and brief response blocking (until 5 s without an attempt to remove glasses had elapsed) increased glasses wearing for the others. Partial component analyses revealed that different components of the package were sufficient or necessary to sustain glasses wearing across participants.

DESCRIPTORS: compliance, noncontingent reinforcement, prescription glasses, response blocking, response cost