Core study 10- Chaney (D) Flashcards
Improving children's medical adherence
How is operant conditioning relevant to the background of Chaney’s study and what has previous statistics shown about asthmatic adherance, indicating its a health issue?
Typical asthmatic adherence in children is 30%-70%, making this a health issue
* this was used as a basis to test for how positive reinforcement can improve these statistics
What was the aim of Chaney’s study?
To investigate if positive reinforcement (operant conditioning) can be used to improve the medical adherence of young asthmatics
What type of experiment was this and why?
Field exeriment
* because it took place in particpants’ own homes
What data collection technique was used?
Self Report method
* through ad hoc basis (when they remember) telephone interviews and a post-study questionnaire
What experimental design was used?
How was this used?
Repeated measures design
Those who had funhaler for two weeks then swapped with those who had breathe-a-tech for another two weeks, making the design repeated measures, as the same people were used in each condition
What were the IV’s of the study?
The type of inhaler:
* Funhaler- with positive reinforcement components (spinner and whistle) for 2 weeks
* Standard spacer device for 2 weeks
What was the DV of the study and how was this measured?
The rate of medical adherence (frequency) and technique with each inhaler
* measured by self report, ad hoc phone calls and post-study questionnaire from parents
What did the sample consist of?
Mean age, quantity, location
32 asthmatic children (mean age of 3.2 years) from a list of 14 different GP registers in Australia
Procedure
How was the child’s success reported on?
Parents reported with both Funhaler and standard spacer device:
* Ad hoc basis phone calls
* post study questionnaire
Ad hoc means when they can/ remember
Procedure
What was the Funhaler like?
Features, use
- Included positive reinforcements like spinner disc and whistle
- Toys placed outside of chamer- didn’t interfere with drug delivery
- Toys could be swapped/ replaced in anticipation of child becoming bored
Results
Was the Funhaler found to be more effective than a standard spacer device?
What did this improve?
Give percentages
Yes- 81% that used Funhaler were medicated previous day, compared to 59% using standard spacer device
Frequency- how often children took medication
Results
Which asthmatic device allowed for the 4+ recommended cycles per aerosol delivery?
What did this improve?
Give percentage
The Funhaler- 30% more children took recommendation compared to those using standard spacer delivery
Teqhnique- how easy children found it to take medication
Results
Did any children continue to experience issues with medication/ aerosol intake?
Yes, but only 3 continued to have issues with Funhaler compared to standard inhaler
Conclusions
What was concluded about effectiveness of Funhaler?
Operant conditioning (e.g. Funhaler) may help improve health of children
Conclusions
What was recommended in order to see long-term effects of treatment?
More research
