Skip to main content
PMC home page
Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis logoLink to Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis
. 1997 Fall;30(3):485–506. doi: 10.1901/jaba.1997.30-485

A response-restriction analysis of stereotypy in adolescents with mental retardation: implications for applied behavior analysis.

J E McEntee 1, R R Saunders 1
PMCID: PMC1284064  PMID: 9316261

Abstract

The behavior of 4 adolescents with severe or profound mental retardation was evaluated in the presence of four sets of materials during periods of unstructured leisure activity. Functional engagement with the materials, stereotypic engagement with the materials, stereotypy without interaction with the materials, and other aberrant behaviors were recorded. Across a series of experimental conditions, the number of sets of materials was reduced from four to one by eliminating the set most frequently manipulated in each preceeding condition. In the final condition, four sets of materials were again made available for manipulation. The procedures replicated Green and Striefel's (1988) response-restriction analysis of the activity preferences and play behaviors of children with autism. In general, the results of the present experiment replicate those of Green and Striefel in that reallocation of responding was idiosyncratic and unpredictable as sets of materials were removed. Nevertheless, the results provided insight into how responding might be reallocated if it were restricted through behavioral interventions rather than by restriction of access. Thus, the results are discussed with respect to how response-restriction analyses may be useful in identifying topographies of behavior that could be included in differential reinforcement contigencies that are designed to affect stereotypic behavior and in the selection and arrangement of environmental stimuli to minimize the presence of evokers of stereotypy.

Full Text

The Full Text of this article is available as a PDF (300.9 KB).

Selected References

These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.

  1. Allison James. Response deprivation, reinforcement, and economics. J Exp Anal Behav. 1993 Jul;60(1):129–140. doi: 10.1901/jeab.1993.60-129. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  2. Azrin N. H., Kaplan S. J., Foxx R. M. Autism reversal: eliminating stereotyped self-stimulation of retarded individuals. Am J Ment Defic. 1973 Nov;78(3):241–248. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  3. BERKSON G., DAVENPORT R. K., Jr Stereotyped movements of mental defectives. I. Initial survey. Am J Ment Defic. 1962 May;66:849–852. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  4. BERKSON G., MASON W. A. STEREOTYPED MOVEMENTS OF MENTAL DEFECTIVES. IV. THE EFFECTS OF TOYS AND THE CHARACTER OF THE ACTS. Am J Ment Defic. 1964 Jan;68:511–524. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  5. BERKSON G., MASON W. A. STEREOTYPED MOVEMENTS OF MENTAL DEFECTIVES: III. SITUATION EFFECTS. Am J Ment Defic. 1963 Nov;68:409–412. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  6. Barton L. E., Repp A. C., Brulle A. R. Reduction of stereotypic behaviours using differential reinforcement procedures and momentary restraint. J Ment Defic Res. 1985 Mar;29(Pt 1):71–79. doi: 10.1111/j.1365-2788.1985.tb00310.x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  7. Baum W. M., Rachlin H. C. Choice as time allocation. J Exp Anal Behav. 1969 Nov;12(6):861–874. doi: 10.1901/jeab.1969.12-861. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  8. Brownstein A. J., Pliskoff S. S. Some effects of relative reinforcement rate and changeover delay in response-independent concurrent schedules of reinforcement. J Exp Anal Behav. 1968 Nov;11(6):683–688. doi: 10.1901/jeab.1968.11-683. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  9. Buyer L. S., Berkson G., Winnega M. A., Morton L. Stimulation and control as components of stereotyped body rocking. Am J Ment Defic. 1987 Mar;91(5):543–547. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  10. Charlop M. H., Kurtz P. F., Casey F. G. Using aberrant behaviors as reinforcers for autistic children. J Appl Behav Anal. 1990 Summer;23(2):163–181. doi: 10.1901/jaba.1990.23-163. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  11. DAVENPORT R. K., Jr, BERKSON G. Stereotyped movements of mental defectives. II. Effects of novel objects. Am J Ment Defic. 1963 May;67:879–882. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  12. Diorio M. S., Konarski E. A., Jr Effects of a freely available response on the schedule performance of mentally retarded persons. Am J Ment Retard. 1989 Jan;93(4):373–379. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  13. Dunham P. J. Some effects of punishment upon unpunished responding. J Exp Anal Behav. 1972 May;17(3):443–450. doi: 10.1901/jeab.1972.17-443. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  14. Dura J. R., Mulick J. A., Rasnake L. K. Prevalence of stereotypy among institutionalized nonambulatory profoundly mentally retarded people. Am J Ment Defic. 1987 Mar;91(5):548–549. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  15. Emerson E., Howard D. Schedule-induced stereotypy. Res Dev Disabil. 1992;13(4):335–361. doi: 10.1016/0891-4222(92)90010-4. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  16. Green G., Striefel S. Response restriction and substitution with autistic children. J Exp Anal Behav. 1988 Jul;50(1):21–32. doi: 10.1901/jeab.1988.50-21. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  17. Guess D., Rutherford G. Experimental attempts to reduce stereotyping among blind retardates. Am J Ment Defic. 1967 May;71(6):984–986. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  18. Guess D. The influence of visual and ambulation restrictions on stereotyped behavior. Am J Ment Defic. 1966 Jan;70(4):542–547. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  19. HERRNSTEIN R. J. Relative and absolute strength of response as a function of frequency of reinforcement. J Exp Anal Behav. 1961 Jul;4:267–272. doi: 10.1901/jeab.1961.4-267. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  20. HOLLIS J. H. THE EFFECTS OF SOCIAL AND NONSOCIAL STIMULI ON THE BEHAVIOR OF PROFOUNDLY RETARDED CHILDREN. I. Am J Ment Defic. 1965 May;69:755–771. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  21. HOLLIS J. H. THE EFFECTS OF SOCIAL AND NONSOCIAL STIMULI ON THE BEHAVIOR OF PROFOUNDLY RETARDED CHILDREN. II. Am J Ment Defic. 1965 May;69:772–789. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  22. Horner R. D. The effects of an environmental "enrichment" program on the behavior of institutionalized profoundly retarded children. J Appl Behav Anal. 1980 Fall;13(3):473–491. doi: 10.1901/jaba.1980.13-473. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  23. Iwata B. A., Dorsey M. F., Slifer K. J., Bauman K. E., Richman G. S. Toward a functional analysis of self-injury. J Appl Behav Anal. 1994 Summer;27(2):197–209. doi: 10.1901/jaba.1994.27-197. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  24. KAUFMAN M. E., LEVITT H. A STUDY OF THREE STEREOTYPED BEHAVIORS IN INSTITUTIONALIZED MENTAL DEFECTIVES. Am J Ment Defic. 1965 Jan;69:467–473. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  25. LaGrow S. J., Repp A. C. Stereotypic responding: a review of intervention research. Am J Ment Defic. 1984 May;88(6):595–609. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  26. Lovaas I., Newsom C., Hickman C. Self-stimulatory behavior and perceptual reinforcement. J Appl Behav Anal. 1987 Spring;20(1):45–68. doi: 10.1901/jaba.1987.20-45. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  27. Lyons C. A., Cheney C. D. Time reallocation in a multiresponse environment: Effects of restricting response classes. J Exp Anal Behav. 1984 May;41(3):279–289. doi: 10.1901/jeab.1984.41-279. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  28. Mace F. C., Lalli J. S., Lalli E. P. Functional analysis and treatment of aberrant behavior. Res Dev Disabil. 1991;12(2):155–180. doi: 10.1016/0891-4222(91)90004-c. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  29. Repp A. C., Deitz S. M., Deitz D. E. Reducing inappropriate behaviors in classrooms and in individual sessions through DRO schedules of reinforcement. Ment Retard. 1976 Feb;14(1):11–15. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  30. Repp A. C., Karsh K. G., Deitz D. E., Singh N. N. A study of the homeostatic level of stereotypy and other motor movements of persons with mental handicaps. J Intellect Disabil Res. 1992 Feb;36(Pt 1):61–75. doi: 10.1111/j.1365-2788.1992.tb00471.x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  31. Repp A. C., Singh N. N., Karsh K. G., Deitz D. E. Ecobehavioural analysis of stereotypic and adaptive behaviours: activities as setting events. J Ment Defic Res. 1991 Oct;35(Pt 5):413–429. doi: 10.1111/j.1365-2788.1991.tb00425.x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  32. Reynolds G. S. Potency of Conditioned Reinforcers Based on Food and on Food and Punishment. Science. 1963 Mar 1;139(3557):838–839. doi: 10.1126/science.139.3557.838. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  33. Rincover A. Sensory extinction: a procedure form eliminating self-stimulatory behavior in developmentally disabled children. J Abnorm Child Psychol. 1978 Sep;6(3):299–310. doi: 10.1007/BF00924733. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  34. Schultz T. M., Berkson G. Definition of abnormal focused affections and exploration of their relation to abnormal stereotyped behaviors. Am J Ment Retard. 1995 Jan;99(4):376–390. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  35. Thompson T. J., Berkson G. Stereotyped behavior of severely disabled children in classroom and free-play settings. Am J Ment Defic. 1985 May;89(6):580–586. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  36. Thompson T., Lubinski D. Units of analysis and kinetic structure of behavioral repertoires. J Exp Anal Behav. 1986 Sep;46(2):219–242. doi: 10.1901/jeab.1986.46-219. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  37. Vollmer T. R., Iwata B. A., Zarcone J. R., Smith R. G., Mazaleski J. L. The role of attention in the treatment of attention-maintained self-injurious behavior: noncontingent reinforcement and differential reinforcement of other behavior. J Appl Behav Anal. 1993 Spring;26(1):9–21. doi: 10.1901/jaba.1993.26-9. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  38. Wahler R. G., Fox J. J. Setting events in applied behavior analysis: Toward a conceptual and methodological expansion. J Appl Behav Anal. 1981 Fall;14(3):327–338. doi: 10.1901/jaba.1981.14-327. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  39. Wieseler N. A., Hanson R. H., Chamberlain T. P., Thompson T. Stereotypic behavior of mentally retarded adults adjunctive to a positive reinforcement schedule. Res Dev Disabil. 1988;9(4):393–403. doi: 10.1016/0891-4222(88)90033-9. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

Articles from Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis are provided here courtesy of Society for the Experimental Analysis of Behavior

RESOURCES