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Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis logoLink to Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis
. 1972 Summer;5(2):111–120. doi: 10.1901/jaba.1972.5-111

Timeout duration and the suppression of deviant behavior in children1

Geoffry D White 1,2,3,2, Gary Nielsen 1,2,3, Stephen M Johnson 1,2,3
PMCID: PMC1310739  PMID: 16795328

Abstract

The effects of three different timeout durations were investigated in a group of 20 retarded, institutionalized subjects. Each subject received 1, 15, and 30 min of timeout in a design that was counterbalanced in terms of the order in which timeout durations were presented. Displays of deviant behavior—such as aggression, tantrums, and self-destruction—were followed by periods of isolation in a timeout room. A reversal design was employed such that return-to-baseline periods were instituted after each timeout period. The overall effect of timeout was to reduce significantly the rate of deviant behavior. On the average, 15 and 30 min produced a 35% decrease in deviant behavior with little difference between the effectiveness of 15 and 30 min. The range of effects in all timeout conditions varied widely. The sequence in which the 1-min duration was presented effected the direction of its effect. When it preceded the use of longer durations, 1 min was most effective. As it came later in the sequence, its suppressive characteristics became less reliable.

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Selected References

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

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