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NCT Number: NCT07137273

Optimizing Dimensions of Reinforcement

This study is designed to better understand how certain features of reinforcement affect learning and motivation in individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD). Participants will take part in a series of structured teaching sessions that involve simple tasks and reward-based feedback. By changing the timing and amount of rewards, we aim to learn how these factors influence the ability to acquire and maintain new skills. This information may help improve behavioral interventions for individuals with IDD in the future. The study does not involve medications or procedures intended to change participants' health status.

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Key information

Conditions

Intellectual Disabilities (F70-F79) Autism Autism Spectrum Disorder Autistic Disorder Child Development Disorders, Pervasive Intellectual Disability Mental Disorders Nervous System Diseases Neurobehavioral Manifestations Neurodevelopmental Disorders Neurologic Manifestations Pathological Conditions, Signs and Symptoms Signs and Symptoms

Age range

6 year–17 year

Sex eligibility

All sexes

Study type

Interventional

Phase

Not applicable

Primary location

Center for Autism Research, Treatment, and Training, Auburn, Alabama, United States

About this study

This study examines how key parameters of reinforcement-specifically the timing and amount of rewards-affect learning, motivation, and performance in individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD). The experimental design is informed by the Mathematical Principles of Reinforcement (MPR), a quantitative framework for understanding the relationship between reinforcement schedules and behavior.

Participants will complete tabletop tasks in a controlled setting. Tasks are designed to be simple and accessible, such as pressing a button or selecting a picture, and correct responses will earn small rewards. Across sessions, we will systematically vary reinforcement parameters, including inter-reinforcement interval and reinforcer magnitude, to evaluate their effects on response rate, accuracy, and persistence.

This is a Basic Experimental Studies with Humans (BESH) clinical trial, meaning the interventions are intended to understand fundamental behavioral processes, not to produce direct clinical benefit. The data will be analyzed using statistical models derived from MPR to identify which reinforcement dimensions are most effective in maintaining high rates of responding. The results may help refine behavior intervention strategies for individuals with IDD by providing an evidence-based understanding of how to optimize reinforcement delivery.

Who can participate

Healthy volunteers accepted: No

Only the study team can determine whether someone qualifies for participation.

Inclusion criteria

At least 6 years of age

Documented neurodevelopmental condition

Engagement in problem behavior (e.g., aggression, self-injury, property destruction) that can be measured during study sessions

Ability to follow simple instructions

Ability to participate in tabletop choice-based tasks

Availability to complete all scheduled study sessions

Provision of informed consent by participant or legally authorized representative

Exclusion criteria

Severe sensory or motor impairments that would prevent participation in tabletop tasks

Current or recent participation (within the past 30 days) in another interventional behavioral research study that could interfere with study outcomes

Medical or behavioral conditions judged by investigators to pose a safety risk or interfere with data collection

Treatment and study plan

Operant Conditioning Tasks with Reinforcement Manipulations

Behavioral

This behavioral intervention involves structured operant conditioning tasks. Reinforcement parameters (e.g., schedule arrangement, magnitude, and probability) are systematically manipulated to evaluate their effects on behavioral allocation. The primary objective is to assess how variations in reinforcement contingencies influence choice patterns. The procedures are designed to examine fundamental behavioral processes rather than to provide therapeutic benefit.

Primary outcomes

Change in rate of behavior across schedules

Time frame: 3 months

Number of target responses allocated emitted during experimental sessions in which reinforcement parameters (e.g., schedule arrangement, magnitude, and probability) are systematically varied. This measure will be derived from response data recorded during operant conditioning tasks. Changes in allocation patterns will be compared across schedule conditions to assess the effect of reinforcement manipulations.

Sponsors and collaborators

Lead sponsor

Auburn University

Other

Collaborators

Hugo W. Moser Research Institute at Kennedy Krieger, Inc.
Oakland University

Registry information

Official study title

Optimizing Dimensions of Reinforcement to Enhance Behavioral Interventions

Important dates

Study start: 2024
Primary completion: 2026
Study completion: 2026
First posted: Aug 22, 2025
Registry last updated: Aug 27, 2025

OpenTrials presents study information sourced from ClinicalTrials.gov. The official registry record should be consulted for the latest information.

View the official ClinicalTrials.gov record (opens in a new tab)

This listing is for discovery and informational purposes only. It is not medical advice, does not guarantee that a study is recruiting, and does not determine eligibility. Contact the study team and a qualified healthcare professional when considering participation.

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