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The acquisition and maintenance of emergency evacuation skills with mildly to moderately retarded adults in a community living arrangement
Author(s) -
Jones Russell T.,
Thornton Jonelle L.
Publication year - 1987
Publication title -
journal of community psychology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.585
H-Index - 86
eISSN - 1520-6629
pISSN - 0090-4392
DOI - 10.1002/1520-6629(198704)15:2<205::aid-jcop2290150210>3.0.co;2-7
Subject(s) - multiple baseline design , psychology , reinforcement , generalization , dreyfus model of skill acquisition , training (meteorology) , social psychology , intervention (counseling) , psychiatry , mathematical analysis , physics , mathematics , economic growth , meteorology , economics
This study investigated the effects of behavioral training on the acquisition, maintenance, and transfer of fire evacuation skills with mentally retarded adult subjects. Four subjects residing in a moderately supervised community living setting were taught to evacuate their apartments in the event of fire emergencies. A multiple baseline design across subjects was used to evaluate the impact of training on subjects' performance. Training components included instructions, modeling, behavioral rehearsal, feedback, and reinforcement. To facilitate maintenance of responding, all subjects received behavioral programming. Additional training was provided to facilitate responding during actual nighttime fire drills. To enhance the likelihood of generalization, all subjects were trained in their own apartments with actual and simulated fire cues. Assessment was carried out during daytime and nighttime hours. Day and night assessment of responding after treatment termination was also conducted. The results indicated a high level of mastery by all subjects across acquisition and response maintenance training, although only moderate levels of responding were noted during the nighttime period. Implications for future research efforts in the area of emergency responding in community settings are discussed.