The effects of fading,feedback, and feedback plus instruction on the perfomance of institutionalized retarded children in number retention exercises

Summary Three feedback training procedures, fading, feedback and feedback plus instruction, were used in conjunction with reinforcement contingencies to assess the performance of 12 mentally retarded boys in number rentention exercises. The fading and the feedback plus instruction procedures were the only ones to yield highly significant effects: none of the procedures led to any substantially improved performance in transfer exercises. Advantages of fading over the more traditional procedure (less errors, ability to learn difficult exercises) are discussed, as are the problems arising in the application of this method. Analysis of the exercises showed that premature removal of the additional colour cues in the fading procedure resulted in a substantial reduction of the number of correct responses, especially in the difficult exercises, and that the feedback procedure was particularly unsuccessful in difficult exercises. Methodological problems encountered in previous retention studies were indicated and an attempt made to overcome them.

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Zusammenfassung Kombiniert mit Belohnungen, die nur für richtige Antworten erfolgten, wurden drei Rückmelde-Trainingsverfahren: Fading, Feedback und Feedback plus Instruction angewandt, um 12 geistig retardierte Jungen an Zahlen-Konservations-Aufgaben zu trainieren. Nur die Fading- und Feedback plus Instruction-Techniken zeigten hoch signifikante Trainingsgewinne, doch keine der Techniken führte zu bedeutenden Verbesserungen bei Transferaufgaben. Die Vorteile der Fading-Technik gegenüber mehr traditionellen Verfahren (weniger Fehler, Erlernen schwierigerer Aufgaben) wurde ebenso erörtert wie Probleme ihrer Anwendung. Aufgabenanalysen zeigten, daß erstens verfrühtes Ausblenden der zusätzlichen Farben bei der Fading-Technik zu einem starken Absinken der Anzahl der richtigen Antworten besonders bei schwierigen Aufgaben führt; und daß zweitens die Feedback-Technik beim Erlernen schwieriger Aufgaben besonders geringen Erfolg hat. Methodologische Probleme bei vorausgegangenen Konservationsexperimenten wurden aufgezeigt, und es wurde versucht, diese methodologischen Probleme zu lösen.

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This paper is based on a thesis submitted by the author to the University Mannheim as partial fulfillmant of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science (Diplom). The writer is greatly indebted to Dr. Norman H. Stein for his guidance throughout the planning and execution of the study and to his helpful suggestions and criticisms. The writer is also indebted to Dr. Byron J. Ward for making subjects available at Syracuse State School, and to the teachers of the Association for Retarded Children in Syracuse, New York. The study was conducted during a one year stay at Syracuse University. The financial support of the Studentenwerk Mannheim for tuitions and living expenses and a travel grant of the Fulbright Commission is gratefully acknowledged.