Skip to main content
PMC home page
Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis logoLink to Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis
. 1985 Summer;18(2):111–126. doi: 10.1901/jaba.1985.18-111

Reducing behavior problems through functional communication training.

E G Carr, V M Durand
PMCID: PMC1307999  PMID: 2410400

Abstract

It is generally agreed that serious misbehavior in children should be replaced with socially appropriate behaviors, but few guidelines exist with respect to choosing replacement behaviors. We address this issue in two experiments. In Experiment 1, we developed an assessment method for identifying situations in which behavior problems, including aggression, tantrums, and self-injury, were most likely to occur. Results demonstrated that both low level of adult attention and high level of task difficulty were discriminative for misbehavior. In Experiment 2, the assessment data were used to select replacements for misbehavior. Specifically, children were taught to solicit attention or assistance or both verbally from adults. This treatment, which involved the differential reinforcement of functional communication, produced replicable suppression of behavior problems across four developmentally disabled children. The results were consistent with an hypothesis stating that some child behavior problems may be viewed as a nonverbal means of communication. According to this hypothesis, behavior problems and verbal communicative acts, though differing in form, may be equivalent in function. Therefore, strengthening the latter should weaken the former.

Full text

PDF
111

Selected References

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

  1. Bell S. M., Ainsworth M. D. Infant crying and maternal responsiveness. Child Dev. 1972 Dec;43(4):1171–1190. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  2. Carnine D. W. Effects of two teacher-presentation rates on off-task behavior, answering correctly, and participation. J Appl Behav Anal. 1976 Summer;9(2):199–206. doi: 10.1901/jaba.1976.9-199. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  3. Carr E. G., Newsom C. D., Binkoff J. A. Escape as a factor in the aggressive behavior of two retarded children. J Appl Behav Anal. 1980 Spring;13(1):101–117. doi: 10.1901/jaba.1980.13-101. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  4. Carr E. G., Newsom C. D., Binkoff J. A. Stimulus control of self-destructive behavior in a psychotic child. J Abnorm Child Psychol. 1976;4(2):139–153. doi: 10.1007/BF00916518. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  5. Carr E. G. The motivation of self-injurious behavior: a review of some hypotheses. Psychol Bull. 1977 Jul;84(4):800–816. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  6. Casey L. O. Development of communicative behavior in autistic children: a parent program using manual signs. J Autism Child Schizophr. 1978 Mar;8(1):45–59. doi: 10.1007/BF01550277. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  7. Durand V. M. Behavioral ecology of a staff incentive program. Effects on absenteeism and resident disruptive behavior. Behav Modif. 1983 Apr;7(2):165–181. doi: 10.1177/01454455830072003. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  8. Goldiamond Israel. Toward a constructional approach to social problems: ethical and constitutional issues raised by applied behavior analysis. Behaviorism. 1974 Spring;2(1):1–84. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  9. Iwata B. A., Bailey J. S. Reward versus cost token systems: an analysis of the effects on students and teacher. J Appl Behav Anal. 1974 Winter;7(4):567–576. doi: 10.1901/jaba.1974.7-567. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  10. Lovaas O. I., Simmons J. Q. Manipulation of self-destruction in three retarded children. J Appl Behav Anal. 1969 Fall;2(3):143–157. doi: 10.1901/jaba.1969.2-143. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  11. Seymour F. W., Stokes T. F. Self-recording in training girls to increase work and evoke staff praise in an institution for offenders. J Appl Behav Anal. 1976 Spring;9(1):41–54. doi: 10.1901/jaba.1976.9-41. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  12. Shodell M. J., Reiter H. H. Self-mutilative behavior in verbal and nonverbal schizophrenic children. Arch Gen Psychiatry. 1968 Oct;19(4):453–455. doi: 10.1001/archpsyc.1968.01740100069010. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  13. Stokes T. F., Fowler S. A., Baer D. M. Training preschool children to recruit natural communities of reinforcement. J Appl Behav Anal. 1978 Summer;11(2):285–303. doi: 10.1901/jaba.1978.11-285. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  14. Talkington L. W., Hall S., Altman R. Communication deficits and aggression in the mentally retarded. Am J Ment Defic. 1971 Sep;76(2):235–237. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  15. Wahler R. G. Oppositional children: a quest for parental reinforcement control. J Appl Behav Anal. 1969 Fall;2(3):159–170. doi: 10.1901/jaba.1969.2-159. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  16. Weeks M., Gaylord-Ross R. Task difficulty and aberrant behavior in severely handicapped students. J Appl Behav Anal. 1981 Winter;14(4):449–463. doi: 10.1901/jaba.1981.14-449. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  17. Zeilberger J., Sampen S. E., Sloane H. N. Modification of a child's problem behaviors in the home with the mother as therapist. J Appl Behav Anal. 1968 Spring;1(1):47–53. doi: 10.1901/jaba.1968.1-47. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

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

RESOURCES