An operant tracking procedure in the auditory assessment of profoundly retarded individuals.
The present study investigated a discrete-trials, operant tracking and a descending-series procedure for the determination of hearing levels with profoundly retarded individuals. These individuals were previously diagnosed as untestable. Following stimulus-control training with errorless discrimination procedures, hearing levels for each individual were examined with both procedures. For P-1 and P-2, the operant tracking procedure was administered following a descending-series procedure. Both were observed to "track" their own hearing levels. For P-3, the operant tracking procedure was administered first, followed by the descending-series procedure. Although P-3 also "tracked" her own hearing level, more variable responding was observed. Nonetheless, the operant tracking procedure proved quite workable and may provide for improved hearing testing with "difficult-to-test" individuals.
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001299:Audiometry / Q000379:methods*; D001301:Audiometry, Pure-Tone / Q000379:methods*; D001309:Auditory Threshold; D003216:Conditioning, Operant; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008607:Intellectual Disability / Q000523:psychology*; D008297:Male; D010897:Pitch Discrimination; D012055:Reinforcement Schedule