Core Studies - Developmental Psychology - Chaney’s Study

Question 1

What is operant conditioning

Answer 1

Learning through consequences and rewards

Question 2

What is positive reinforcement

Answer 2

When a motivating or rewarding stimulus is given to someone when they carry out a desired behaviour, they will repeat this behaviour in future as they associate it with a reward

Question 3

What is negative reinforcement

Answer 3

Removal of an unwanted stimulus which results in a ‘rewarding’ feeling for the person. Negative reinforcement strengthens behaviour because it stops or removes an unpleasant experience

Question 4

What is punishment

Answer 4

When undesirable behaviour is performed, punishment is given in order to reinforce that this behaviour is wrong and therefore not repeated again

Question 5

What are the practical medical applications for operant conditioning

Answer 5

• One major issue health practitioners have had to deal with is poor adherence to medical regimes especially with the use of inhalers
• Irregular treatment and poor inhalation technique when using inhalers are linked to more hospitalisations and increased morbidity
• Chaney therefore suggested that one way to improve adherence to medical regimes in asthmatic children is to introduce a positive reinforcement within the inhalers

Question 6

Aim

Answer 6

To test whether the ‘Funhaler’ could provide positive reinforcement to improve adherence in child asthmatics compared to normal inhalers

Question 7

Research method

Answer 7

Field experiment

Question 8

Where was the study conducted

Answer 8

In the p’s home settings in Perth, Australia

Question 9

Experimental design

Answer 9

Repeated measures design and a self report method was also used

Question 10

Independent variables

Answer 10

The use of a standard volume spacer device vs the ‘Funhaler’

Question 11

Dependant variable

Answer 11

The amount of adherence to the prescribed medical regime

Question 12

Sample

Answer 12

• 32 children
• 22 male and 10 female
• From Perth Australia
• All had asthma for on average 2 years
• All asthmatics

Question 13

What is the Funhaler

Answer 13

• An inhaler that with a spinner and a whistle which encourages the child to breathe deeply as the spinner would spin and the whistle would make a noise when deep breaths are produced
• Whistle and spinner are in a separate branch to the standard inhalation circuit which avoids problems of contamination and interference of drug delivery

Question 14

What is part 1 of the procedure

Answer 14

The parents of the children with asthma were contacted by phone and then visited at home to be told about the study and to give informed consent

Question 15

What is part 2 of the procedure

Answer 15

The parents were then interviewed using a questionnaire and asked about their child’s attitudes and compliance to their normal inhaler but were not shown the Funhaler at this stage

Question 16

What is part 3 of the procedure

Answer 16

Parents were then given the Funhaler to use over a to week period instead of their normal inhaler

Question 17

What is part 4 of the procedure

Answer 17

They were told it must be used under adult supervision

Question 18

What is part 5 of the procedure

Answer 18

Over the 2 weeks, usage was recorded using phone calls at random in which they were asked if their child had used the Funhaler the previous day

Question 19

What was part 6 of the procedure

Answer 19

Parents were then visited at the end of the 2 week period and asked about their attitudes and compliance towards the Funhaler

Question 20

Procedure

Answer 20

1. The parents of the children with asthma were contacted by phone and then visited at home to be told about the study and to give informed consent
2. The parents were then interviewed using a questionnaire and asked about their child’s attitudes and compliance to their normal inhaler but were not shown the Funhaler at this stage
3. Parents were then given the Funhaler to use over a to week period instead of their normal inhaler
4. They were told it must be used under adult supervision
5. Over the 2 weeks, usage was recorded using phone calls at random in which they were asked if their child had used the Funhaler the previous day
6. Parents were then visited at the end of the 2 week period and asked about their attitudes and compliance towards the Funhaler

Question 21

Results

Answer 21

• The use of the Funhaler was associated with improved parental and child compliance
• 81% of parents were found to have medicated their child the previous day when using the Funhaler compared to their existing inhaler (59%)
• 30% more children took the recommended four or more deep breaths per aerosol delivery when using the Funhaler compared with the standard inhaler

Question 22

Conclusion 1

Answer 22

• Operant condition through the use of the ‘Funhaler’ is useful for managing the medical regimes of young asthmatics as it encourages young children and parents to adhere to the treatment through the use of the incentive toy (whistle and spinner). This is because as the child breathes in deeply they re rewarded with the whistle being blown and a toy being spun which encourages them to repeat the breathing process

Question 23

Conclusion 2

Answer 23

The use of self-reinforced strategies can improve the overall health of children

Question 24

Key finding

Answer 24

30% more children took the recommended four or more deep breaths per aerosol delivery when using the Funhaler compared with the standard inhaler

Question 25

Link to Key Theme

Question 26

Link to Area