Examining the reinforcing value of stimuli within social and non-social contexts in children with and without high-functioning autism.
Melissa C Goldberg, Melissa J Allman, Louis P Hagopian and 5 others
PMID 27368350WHAT IT FOUND
Boys with high-functioning autism chose social activities with their mothers just as often as solitary ones, and worked just as hard to earn them.
They did not show the reduced preference for social interaction seen in some other studies. The social context was familiar and individualized.
Key findings
01There were no significant group differences in preference for social versus solitary activities, as boys with autism selected social activities at similar rates to typically developing boys.
02Boys with autism were willing to work just as hard (emit similar number of responses) to earn access to social activities with their mothers as typically developing boys did.
03For specific activities like building, boys with autism worked harder for the social version than the solitary version, suggesting social context can enhance reinforcing value.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for SLPs
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What it does not show
The study only included boys with high-functioning autism (IQ 73+), so results may not apply to those with lower cognitive abilities or girls. The social context was exclusively the child's mother, which is a highly familiar and potentially less demanding social partner than peers or unfamiliar adults. The study measured preference and effort, not whether the children actually 'enjoyed' the interaction or the quality of the social engagement. There was a significant difference in IQ between the autism and control groups, which the authors noted makes direct group comparisons more complex.
Declared interests
No specific conflicts of interest or funding sources were declared in the provided text.
The easy way to misread this
Do not assume that social interaction is generally less reinforcing for all children with autism. This study used a familiar partner (mother) and individualized, high-preference activities. These 'best case' conditions may not replicate with unfamiliar adults, peers, or less preferred tasks.