title: Differential effects of methylphenidate and self-reinforcement on attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder.
abstract: Six boys aged 9 to 12 years attended a tutoring class focusing on reading for 30 minutes each morning. The investigators employed a modified Latin-square design in which each child began with a 5-day baseline phase followed by six 10-day treatment phases that used drug placebo, noncontingent reinforcers, 0.3 mg/kg methylphenidate, 0.7 mg/kg methylphenidate, and self-reinforcement in various combinations. Amount of academic performance was the major measure of outcome and the target behavior of self-reinforcement. Drug placebo and noncontingent reinforcers had no systematic impact. Methylphenidate had differential effects across the recorded behaviors. Self-reinforcement improved the target behavior; the mean effect size for self-reinforcement was 2.66. The combined effects of methylphenidate and self-reinforcement on academic performance were greater than either of the treatments given alone (mean effect size = 2.89).
authors.affiliation: Graduate School of Psychology, Fuller Theological Seminary, USA.
authors.forename: O
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Ajibola
authors.forename: P W
authors.initials: PW
authors.lastname: Clement
mesh_terms: D001289:Attention Deficit Disorder with Hyperactivity / Q000523:psychology / Q000628:therapy*; D001521:Behavior Therapy; D002648:Child; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008774:Methylphenidate / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D009042:Motivation; D012055:Reinforcement Schedule; D012073:Remedial Teaching; D012919:Social Behavior; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D008774:Methylphenidate