The effects of INTERMITTENT

REINFORCEMENTS
on the performance of children with ADHD

Prepared by- Ritika Marwaha, Snigdha Madaan,

Tanushree Sangma and Asmita Saini
M.A PSYCHOLOGY (3rd Semester)
 WHAT IS ADHD?

Attention deficit hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is a condition that becomes apparent in

some children in the preschool and early school years. It is hard for these children to
control their behavior and/or pay attention. It is estimated that between 3 and 5 percent of
children have attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), or approximately 2 million
children in the United States. This means that in a classroom of 25 to 30 children, it is
likely that at least one will have ADHD.
The principle characteristics of ADHD are-
● Inattention,
● Hyperactivity, and
● Impulsivity.

These symptoms appear early in a child’s life. Because many normal children may have
these symptoms, but at a low level, or the symptoms may be caused by another disorder, it
is important that the child receive a thorough examination and appropriate diagnosis by
well qualified professional.
 BARKLEY’S THEORY OF ADHD
According to Barkley, Children with ADHD mainly face deficits in Self Regulation
(Self Control). Neuro-typical children, as they grow up learn to internally self regulate
one’s behaviour according to the consequences. However, a child with ADHD will lack
this ability to self regulate.

Impulsivity: A child with ADHD possessing the feature of Impulsivity, will tend to be
attracted towards short term rewards compared to long term rewards, as they require
immediate stimulation.
According to Barkley, children with ADHD also lack the ability to understand the
basic meaning and intention behind he significance of long term goals.
Barkley also asserts that individuals with ADHD don’t develop “future orientation and
sense of self across time”.
 RESPONSE INHIBITION
It is defined as the condition of interrupting an
ongoing response, permitting a delay in the decision to
respond or continue responding.

(Barkley, 1999)
 Barkley’s Model
Response
Inhibition

Working Self-Regulation
Internalization Reconstitution
Memory Of Affect/
Of Speech
Motivation/Arousal

Motor Control/
Fluency/Syntax
Deficits in response inhibition and the four executive functions
lead to impairments in:

Control
Timing
Persistence
Flexibility
Goal-directed actions
Barkley also asserts that these deficits manifest in
ADHD children through:

Ability to adapt to new information

Ability to predict what will happen
Ability to generate responses to future info
OUR STUDY
OBJECTIVE - To compare the effects of Intermittent Reinforcements (Material
Reinforcement and Physical Activity) on the performance of children with ADHD on self-
designed tasks.
SAMPLE- A sample of four children with ADHD (2 boys and 2 girls) was chosen for the
study.
CONDITIONS- There were two conditions in the study -
• The participants were given material reinforcement after each task.
• The participants were given a two - minute break after each task for engaging in
physical activity of his/her choice.
Two children were provided with a sticker as a token and two of the children were given a
two - minute break after each task for engaging in physical activity of his/her choice.
Time was also recorded for each task completed by the participant. To start with the
conduction process, a pilot study was carried out.
 MATERIAL USED

• Worksheets
• Story Book- For narration of the story to the
children.
• Colours, Drawing sheets, Task sheets, Stationery,
Stickers (As rewards)
TASKS
Task 1- Joining the dots
“Each dot is accompanied by a specific number. You are required to
connect each dot in a successive pattern. After you are done
connecting all the dots with each other, you will be able to notice
that it has formed a particular image. As soon as you are able to
locate what the image is, you need to name it and let the
experimenter know what you are able to see. With the completion
and recognition of the image, you will receive the first sticker of
your choice.”
“As soon as you are able to collect all seven stickers in all the
subsequent mentioned tasks, in the end, as the final bigger reward,
you will attain the largest sticker which would denote that you have
gained success in every task you were provided with.”
Task 2- Colouring according to given codes
“The image which you can see on the given sheet is
denoted with certain numbers. You are required to
check which number is associated with what colour
from the box on the top of this page and fill in the
appropriate colour. When you are done coloring the
whole image, you will receive the next sticker of your
choice and that will be your second reward.”
Task 3- Find the differences
“In this task there will be two pictures of the
similar looking witch. There will be 8 slight
differences between the two pictures, such as
the position of the eyebrow of the pumpkin
and a patch on the witch’s skirt. You need to
find out all the differences as quickly as
possible. Even if you are able to locate any
six differences, you will be presented with
the next sticker.”
Task 4- Storytelling and Comprehension
“I will be narrating a story to you which is very similar to
your daily life activities. You might even feel as if it’s your
own story. You are required to listen to it carefully and clarify
your queries too, if any, if you intend to attain a sticker as
your reward for listening carefully to the experimenter. After
the completion of the story, you will be asked certain
questions relevant to the story you had just listened to and
you need to answer them correctly. With every correct
answer, you will be provided with a sticker as your reward
for giving appropriate answer to every question been asked.”
As soon as the child was able to collect all seven stickers in all the subsequent mentioned
tasks, in the end, as the final bigger reward, he attained the largest sticker which denoted
that he/she has gained success in every task he/she were provided with.
JOINING
THE DOTS
COLOUR
ACCORDING
TO GIVEN
CODES
FIND THE
DIFFERENCES
PROOF!!