Work

Stimulus Fading and Transfer in the Treatment of Self‐restraint and Self‐injurious Behavior

Year: 1986

Type: article

Abstract: We conducted several manipulations of mechanical restraint properties during the course of treatment for two profoundly retarded adolescents who exhibited both self-restraint and self-injurious behavior. In study 1, a combination of prompting, differential reinforcement, and stimulus fading reduced one subject's self-restraint, which consisted of holding rigid tubes on his arms. Subsequently, stimulus control of both self-restraint and self-injurious behavior was transferred to tennis wrist bands. In study 2, a second subject's self-restraint--placing his hands in his pants--was immediately eliminated by the use of air splints. Additionally, differential reinforcement and air-pressure fading resulted in the complete mobility of his arms and a substantial increase in appropriate behaviors. Results of this investigation suggest that stimulus fading and transfer may be valuable components in the elimination of self-restraint.

Source: Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis

DOI: 10.1901/jaba.1986.19-381

Authors: Gary M. Pace, Brian A. Iwata, Glynnis L. Edwards, Kay C. McCosh

Institutions: Johns Hopkins University, Kennedy Institute of Rheumatology

Language: English

Topic: Behavioral and Psychological Studies

Subfield: Developmental and Educational Psychology

Field: Psychology

Domain: Social Sciences

SDG: Good health and well-being

Open Access status: bronze

Funder: Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development