Chaney Flashcards
What type of conditioning was Chaney’s study based on?
Operant conditioning – learning through reinforcement and consequences.
What principle of operant conditioning was applied in the study?
Positive reinforcement, where desirable behavior (inhaler use) is increased through rewards (fun elements).
Why was Chaney’s study conducted?
Many children with asthma struggle with adherence to prescribed inhaler treatments, reducing effectiveness.
What was the main aim of Chaney’s study?
To investigate whether a novel asthma inhaler (the Funhaler) could improve children’s adherence to their prescribed medication.
What did Chaney predict about the Funhaler?
That it would increase adherence through positive reinforcement by making the inhaler experience more enjoyable.
Who were the participants in Chaney’s study?
32 Australian children diagnosed with asthma, aged 1.5 to 6 years.
How was the sample selected?
It was a random sample recruited from clinics in Australia.
What was the gender distribution of the sample?
22 boys and 10 girls participated in the study.
What type of study design was used?
A field experiment with a repeated measures design.
What two inhalers were compared in the study?
The standard inhaler (pMDI & spacer) vs. the Funhaler.
What was the key feature of the Funhaler?
It had a spinner and whistle designed to entertain and reward children for correct usage.
How was data collected from parents?
Through structured questionnaires and phone interviews about adherence and attitudes.
What were parents asked to do during Chaney’s study?
Parents were asked to supervise their child’s inhaler use and complete structured questionnaires about their child’s adherence, attitudes, and any problems experienced with both the standard inhaler and the Funhaler.
How long did each child use the Funhaler?
Two weeks, after previously using the standard inhaler.
How did adherence rates change with the Funhaler?
81% of children used the Funhaler the previous day, compared to 59% using the standard inhaler.
How did parental attitudes change?
16/27 parents (59%) reported always medicating their child with the standard inhaler, but this increased to 22/27 (81%) with the Funhaler.
What percentage of children enjoyed using the Funhaler?
68% of children reported liking the Funhaler, compared to only 10% liking the standard inhaler.
How did problems with medication administration change?
Fewer children struggled or refused to use the Funhaler compared to the standard inhaler.
What was Chaney’s main conclusion?
The use of positive reinforcement (the Funhaler) significantly improved adherence to asthma medication in young children.
What are the implications of this study?
Medical treatments for children could be redesigned to be more engaging and reinforce adherence.
Why does Chaney’s study have high ecological validity?
It was conducted in a natural environment (children’s homes), making the results more applicable to real life. The study reflects real-world medical adherence rather than artificial lab settings which improves the generalisability of the findings
How can Chaney’s findings be applied in healthcare?
Medical devices for children can be redesigned to use positive reinforcement, improving adherence. It could influence paediatric healthcare policies and medical technology development.
Why is using a repeated measures design a strength?
The same children used both inhalers, reducing participant variables affecting results. Any differences in adherence are likely due to the inhaler, not individual differences.
How might social desirability bias affect the results?
Parents may have over-reported adherence to appear as responsible caregivers. This limits the validity as the data may not fully reflect actual behavior and may exaggerate Funhaler effectiveness.
Why is the study’s short duration a limitation?
The study only lasted two weeks, so it’s unclear if adherence would remain high over a long period.
