AN EVALUATION OF STIMULANT MEDICATION ON THE REINFORCING EFFECTS OF PLAY

• Published in: Journal of applied behavior analysis Vol. 41; no. 1; pp. 143 - 147
• Main Authors: LaRue Jr, Robert H., Northup, John, Baumeister, Alan A., Hawkins, Mike F., Seale, Lauren, Williams, Tara, Ridgway, Andrea
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Oxford, UK Blackwell Publishing Ltd 2008; Society for the Experimental Analysis of Behavior; The Society for the Experimental Analysis of Behavior
• Subjects: Agreements; Amphetamines; Amphetamines - adverse effects; Amphetamines - therapeutic use; Attention Deficit Disorder with Hyperactivity - drug therapy; Attention Deficit Disorder with Hyperactivity - psychology; Attention Deficit Disorders; Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder; Behavior; Behavior Therapy - methods; behavioral pharmacology; Biological and medical sciences; Central Nervous System Stimulants - adverse effects; Central Nervous System Stimulants - therapeutic use; Child; Child, Preschool; Children & youth; Choice Behavior - drug effects; Combined Modality Therapy; Dextroamphetamine - adverse effects; Dextroamphetamine - therapeutic use; Discount coupons; Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; Drug Therapy; Female; Humans; Hyperactivity; Louisiana; Male; Medical sciences; Methylphenidate - adverse effects; Methylphenidate - therapeutic use; Motivation; Neuropharmacology; Pharmacology. Drug treatments; Play and Playthings; Preschool Children; Program Effectiveness; Psychiatrists; Psychoanaleptics: cns stimulant, antidepressant agent, nootropic agent, mood stabilizer; Psychoanaleptics: cns stimulant, antidepressant agent, nootropic agent, mood stabilizer..., (alzheimer disease); Psychology. Psychoanalysis. Psychiatry; Psychopharmacology; Reinforcement, Social; reinforcer assessment; Social Behavior; Social Reinforcement; stimulant medication; Stimulants; Token Economy; Toys; Louisiana; Human; Preschool age; Evaluation; CNS stimulant; attention deficit hyperactivity disorder; Psychotropic; Hyperactivity; reinforcer assessment; behavioral pharmacology; Play; Social behavior; Attentional disorder; Social interaction; Reinforcement; stimulant medication; Attention disorder with hyperactivity; Child
• ISSN: 0021-8855; 1938-3703
• DOI: 10.1901/jaba.2008.41-143

Although a vast literature has indicated that stimulant medications are effective for reducing inappropriate behavior in children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), the effects of stimulant medication on ancillary behaviors (e.g., play) have yet to be investigated with the same rigor. We used a reinforcer assessment procedure to evaluate the effects of medication on the play and social behavior of 5 preschool children who had been diagnosed with ADHD. Conditions included (a) social reinforcement (i.e., playing with friends), (b) alone play, and (c) quiet time (i.e., resting). Results indicated that 1 of the 5 participants selected fewer social reinforcers and more nonsocial reinforcers (alone play or quiet time) while on medication. The findings indicate that the reinforcer assessment procedure may be a viable way to evaluate medication effects on an ongoing basis and to inform treatment decisions.