Differential Reinforcement as a Function of Perceived Mental Illness

Abstract

Four groups of 16 subjects each were told that a confederate had had either: (a) psychiatric treatment in the past as well as in the present (P-P); (b) psychiatric treatment in the past but not in the present (P-N); (c) no psychiatric treatment in the past but psychiatric treatment in the present (N-P); (d) no psychiatric treatment in either the past or present (N-N). Half of the subjects in each group supplied reinforcement to a \learner\ under response-contingent conditions, while the other half supplied reinforcement under non-contingent conditions. The intensity and duration of those reinforcers were reassured and analyzed in a 2x2x4 Anova. As expected, there were no significant effects on reinforcement duration. Also as expected, reinforcement intensity did not differ across psychiatric history groups under non-contingent conditions. These findings were discussed in terms of theoretical and methodological implications. It was concluded that stigma alone cannot fully account for the social consequences of the former mental patient. Other factors sum as the Physical characteristics of the perceived mental patient and the response set of the subject need to also be examined.