Matching Parameters of Social Interactions Across Social Networks Through Equivalent Relations Shari...

Matching Parameters of Social Interactions Across Social Networks Through

Equivalent Relations

Shari Daisy, Ed. S., BCBA

Breaking the Silence on Crime Victims with Disabilities in the United StatesNational Council on Disability, Association of University Centers on Disabilities,

and the National Center for Victims of CrimeMay 21, 2007

• Little reliable data on crimes against individuals with disabilities

• People with disabilities are victimized at much higher rates than general population

• Women with developmental disabilities are at a 4 to 10 times greater risk of sexual assault than women without

• 15,000 to 19,000 people with developmental disabilities are raped each year in the US

http://www.ncvc.org/ncvc/AGP.Net/Components/documentViewer/Download.aspxnz?DocumentID=42936 (April 30, 2008)

AAMR Fact SheetSexuality and Intellectual Disability

• Learning appropriate social behaviors may assist individuals with disabilities:– To recognize inappropriate sexual advances– To avoid making social mistakes that appear foolish or criminal

• “… all reports indicate that people with an intellectual disability are significantly more likely to be sexually abused than their same age peers…” and “they are often targeted as victims because…they are perceived as easier marks who will have difficulty recognizing the abuse”

http://www.aaidd.org/Policies/sexuality.shtml (April 30, 2008, American Association on Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities)

People with Mental Retardation & Sexual Abuse

Leigh Ann Davis, M.S.S.W., M.P.A.

• “Potential offenders may interpret affectionate behavior (both appropriate and inappropriate) as a sign of vulnerability or an invitation to abuse.”

http://disability-abuse.com/cando/documents/docindex.htm (April 30, 2008)

Social Validity

• “Is it important to you that your child interacts in socially appropriate ways with different groups of people?”– All parents stated, “Yes.” – Additional parent comments included:

• Doesn’t know when not to interact with strangers, as well as how to interact with familiar people.

• Sometimes trusts people he shouldn’t.• Safety concerns when dealing with strangers. • Don’t want people to be offended or feel uncomfortable if

says something considered rude or inappropriate.• An essential life skill.

Social Validity

• Specific social interaction weaknesses cited by parents:– Overly affectionate with strangers– Says things that could offend others – Asks questions that are too personal – Lack of eye contact– No formal greeting– Poor clarity of expression– Difficulty answering questions– No “give and take” during social interactions– Focuses on own interests

Purpose of Study

• Teach verbal and physical parameters of social interactions across social networks through equivalent relations using a match to sample procedure.

• Assess for generalization of the parameters and learned relations using photographs of individuals belonging to each subject’s social networks.

A brief review…

• Stimulus equivalence has been around since Sidman’s original 1971 study.

• Stimuli that are members of a stimulus class are mutually substitutable for each other (serve the same function and obtain the same consequence).

• Members of stimulus classes serve as discriminative stimuli for reinforcement through their reinforcement histories.

Stimulus Equivalence Paradigm

A

B

C

A is related to B via training.B is related to C via training.

A becomes related to C and C becomes related to A because of their shared history with B.

Tests for Equivalence

A

B

C

train symmetry test transitivity test

Emergence of derived relations without direct training. Important for concept formation.

Method• Design: pretest/posttest

• Independent Variable: visual-visual match to sample training using equivalent relations

• Dependent Variable: Accurate responding defined as touching or naming S+ within 3 seconds of presentation of SD (5 seconds for Subject 2). No time limit during generalization tests – subjects commenting on photos.

• Discriminative Stimulus: visual and verbal presentation of symbolic and textual stimuli representing a social network, verbal parameter, or physical parameter

• Inter-observer Reliability: assessed during 100% of the pretests and posttests

Family – Equivalence Triangle

trained tested

Friends - Equivalence Triangle

trained tested

Strangers - Equivalence Triangle

trained tested

Subjects and Setting

• Four subjects participated in the study:Subject 1 - 14 year old male diagnosed with ASD

Subject 2 - 16 year old female diagnosed with MR

Subject 3 - 15 year old male diagnosed with ASD

Subject 4 - 13 year old male diagnosed with ASD

• All teaching sessions, testing sessions, and generalization tests were conducted in the public middle and high schools that the subjects attended.

Prerequisite Skill

• Assessed prior to study: – Naming/identifying textual and symbolic

stimuli used during teaching sessions

• Subjects 2, 3, and 4 were able to perform prerequisite skill.

• Subject 1 required instruction before beginning study.

Baseline Measures

• Baseline – tested in extinction (social praise on VR 2 schedule for attending and effort)

• A-B, B-A, B-C, C-B, A-C, C-A

A(social

network)

B(talk)

C(touch)

Teaching Sessions• Instructor sat next to student at classroom desk or

table.• Stimuli presented on laminated 8 ½ X 11” sheets

with sample stimuli at center top of page and three comparison stimuli at bottom of page.

• Presentation order of sample stimuli and placement of comparison stimuli counterbalanced within and across teaching sessions (3 comparison stimuli X 2 placements each = 6 trials for each relation).

• Extra stimulus prompts used to facilitate errorless learning (S+ stimuli systematically faded from yellow background to no background color contingent on correct responding).

Fading of Extra Stimulus Prompts

Teaching Sessions cont.• Differential observing response was taught (touch stimuli

and name it). Initially verbal prompt “Say it” was used if subject did not name stimuli. The verbal prompt was systematically faded using a time delay. (Higher functioning students began to just name stimuli. This was allowed by the researcher and caused problems later with one of the subjects.)

• Social praise on an FR1.• After two consecutive sessions with 100% accuracy

subject moved down to the next level on the prompt hierarchy.

• Post tests were administered after subject achieved 100% accuracy for two consecutive sessions with no prompts in place (one session for Subject 2).

Social Relations Matched - Subject 1

0

20

40

60

80

100

120

A1-B1 B1-C1 B1-A1 C1-B1 A1-C1 C1-A1 A2-B2 B2-C2 B2-A2 C2-B2 A2-C2 C2-A2 A3-B3 B3-C3 B3-A3 C3-B3 A3-C3 C3-A3

Per

cen

t C

orr

ect

pretest posttest generalization test

trained symmetry test

transitivity test


transitivity test


transitivity test

B-C and C-B relations not tested during generalization tests (verbal and physical parameters).

family friends strangers

A1-B1 family-I love youB1-C1 I love you-close touchB1-A1 I love you-familyC1-B1 close touch-I love youA1-C1 family-close touchC1-A1 close touch-family

A2-B2 friends-Hi. What’s new?B2-C2 Hi. What’s new?-social touchB2-A2 Hi. What’s new?-friendsC2-B2 social touch-Hi. What’s new?A2-C2 friends-social touchC2-A2 social touch-friends

A3-B3 strangers-HelloB3-C3 Hello-no touchB3-A3 Hello-strangersC3-B3 no touch-HelloA3-C3 strangers-no touchC3-A3 no touch-strangers


0

20

40

60

80

100

120

A1-

B1

B1-

C1

B1-

A1

C1-

B1

A1-

C1

C1-

A1

A2-

B2

B2-

C2

B2-

A2

C2-

B2

A2-

C2

C2-

A2

A3-

B3

B3-

C3

B3-

A3

C3-

B3

A3-

C3

C3-

A3

pretest posttest generalization test



transitivity test


transitivity test


transitivity test


*Second half of generalization tests Subject 2 achieved 100% accuracy for all relations tested. Lots of commenting on pictures in the beginning.





0

20

40

60

80

100

120

A1-B1

B1-C1

B1-A1

C1-B1

A1-C1

C1-A1

A2-B2

B2-C2

B2-A2

C2-B2

A2-C2

C2-A2

A3-B3

B3-C3

B3-A3

C3-B3

A3-C3

C3-A3

Perc

en

t C

orr

ect

pretest posttest posttest w /out time limit generalization test



transitivity test


transitivity test


transitivity test


“I need time to think!”





0

20

40

60

80

100

120

A1-B1

B1-C1

B1-A1

C1-B1

A1-C1

C1-A1

A2-B2

B2-C2

B2-A2

C2-B2

A2-C2

C2-A2

A3-B3

B3-C3

B3-A3

C3-B3

A3-C3

C3-A3

Perc

en

t C

orr

ect

pretest posttest posttest w /out time limit generalization test



transitivity test


transitivity test


transitivity test





Reliability• Inter-observer reliability was assessed

during 100% of the pretests and posttests.• Range of IOA was 94%-100% with an

average of 97% on the pretests and 99% on the posttests.

Subject Pretest Posttest

1 100 100

2 97 99

3 94 98

4 96 99

Discussion• This preliminary study presented varying results in the

emergence of derived relations of appropriate parameters of social interactions for the subjects involved. – Lower functioning vs. higher functioning– Time limit in responding– Lack of discrimination and stimulus control between parameters

(e.g. “Hi. What’s new?” and “Hello.”)– Generalization tests – use of photos

• This concept formation is a critical first step in the instruction of social safety skills and provides a “common language” and starting point for instruction.

• Importance of teaching safe social behavior, social awareness, and self-protection.

Further research…

• Future expansion of the study could include:– Addition of social networks: community helpers,

authority figures, acquaintances, intimate relationships, close/old friends vs. new friends, etc.

– Addition of other physical stimuli: intimate touch, side hug or squeeze, arm and arm, arms around waist, holding hands, sitting close, doctor touch, etc.

– Addition of other verbal stimuli: personal greetings, small talk, asking for help, topic focused, etc.

– Addition of gradients of responding based on specific people in subjects’ social networks.

Questions…Comments…

Shari Daisy, Ed. S., BCBA

Website: www.sharidaisy.com

Email: [email protected]

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