Quantifying Errors of Bias and Discriminability in Conditional-Discrimination Performance in Children Diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder

Authors

Courtney Hannula, Florida Institute of Technology
Corina Jimenez-Gomez, Auburn University
Weizhi Wu, Florida Institute of Technology
Adam T. Brewer, Western Connecticut State University
Tiffany Kodak, Marquette UniversityFollow
Shawn P. Gilroy, Louisiana State University
Blake A. Hutsell, East Carolina University
Brent Alsop, Otago University
Christopher A. Podlesnik, Auburn University

Document Type

Article

Language

eng

Publication Date

8-2020

Publisher

Elsevier

Source Publication

Learning and Motivation

Source ISSN

0023-9690

Abstract

Antecedent- and consequence-based procedures decrease errors during conditional discrimination training but are not typically guided by error patterns. A framework based in behavioral-choice and signal-detection theory can quantify error patterns due to (1) biases for certain stimuli or locations and (2) discriminability of stimuli within the conditional discrimination. We manipulated levels of disparity between sample (Experiment 1) and comparison (Experiment 2) stimuli by manipulating red saturation using an ABA design with children diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Lower disparities decreased discriminability and biases were observed for some participants during the low-disparity conditions. These findings demonstrate the use of these analyses to identify error patterns during conditional-discrimination performance in a clinically relevant population under laboratory conditions. Further development of this framework could result in the development of technologies for categorizing errors during clinically relevant conditional-discrimination performance with the goal of individualizing interventions to match learner-specific error patterns.

Comments

Accepted version. Learning and Motivation, Vol. 71, (August 2020): 101659. DOI. © 2020 Elsevier. Used with permission.

Recommended Citation

Hannula, Courtney; Jimenez-Gomez, Corina; Wu, Weizhi; Brewer, Adam T.; Kodak, Tiffany; Gilroy, Shawn P.; Hutsell, Blake A.; Alsop, Brent; and Podlesnik, Christopher A., "Quantifying Errors of Bias and Discriminability in Conditional-Discrimination Performance in Children Diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder" (2020). Psychology Faculty Research and Publications. 493.
https://epublications.marquette.edu/psych_fac/493