Skip to main content
PMC home page
Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis logoLink to Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis
. 1974 Summer;7(2):313–325. doi: 10.1901/jaba.1974.7-313

Reducing aggressive and self-injurious behavior of institutionalized retarded children through reinforcement of other behaviors1

Alan C Repp 1,2, Samuel M Deitz 1,2
PMCID: PMC1311970  PMID: 4436179

Abstract

Aggressive and self-injurious behaviors of four retarded children were reduced by combining various techniques with the differential reinforcement of other behaviors (DRO). In one study, aggressive responses of a severely retarded child were reduced when DRO was combined with a 30-sec timeout. In a second study, various aggressive classroom behaviors were reduced when the child was told “no” for an inappropriate response but earned puzzle pieces for periods of time when inappropriate responses resulted did not occur. Exchangeable tokens were given to a third subject for every 15 min in which aggressive responding did not occur, while each inappropriate response resulted in the loss of all tokens accrued. Responding was decreased to a level far below baseline. For a fourth child, self-injurious responses were followed by “no”, and intervals of time in which no self-injurious responding occurred earned candy. The rate of this behavior reduced significantly. In each case, the DRO procedure combined with the other techniques proved to be manageable for the teacher and successful in reducing the inappropriate behavior.

Full text

PDF
324

Selected References

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

  1. AYLLON T., MICHAEL J. The psychiatric nurse as a behavioral engineer. J Exp Anal Behav. 1959 Oct;2:323–334. doi: 10.1901/jeab.1959.2-323. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  2. Bostow D. E., Bailey J. B. Modification of severe disruptive and aggressive behavior using brief timeout and reinforcement procedures. J Appl Behav Anal. 1969 Spring;2(1):31–37. doi: 10.1901/jaba.1969.2-31. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  3. Corte H. E., Wolf M. M., Locke B. J. A comparison of procedures for eliminating self-injurious behavior of retarded adolescents. J Appl Behav Anal. 1971 Fall;4(3):201–213. doi: 10.1901/jaba.1971.4-201. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  4. Dietz S. M., Repp A. C. Decreasing classroom misbehavior through the use of DRL schedules of reinforcement. J Appl Behav Anal. 1973 Fall;6(3):457–463. doi: 10.1901/jaba.1973.6-457. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  5. Foxx R. M., Azrin N. H. Restitution: a method of eliminating aggressive-disruptive behavior of retarded and brain damaged patients. Behav Res Ther. 1972 Feb;10(1):15–27. doi: 10.1016/0005-7967(72)90003-4. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  6. Foxx R. M., Azrin N. H. The elimination of autistic self-stimulatory behavior by overcorrection. J Appl Behav Anal. 1973 Spring;6(1):1–14. doi: 10.1901/jaba.1973.6-1. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  7. Hall R. V., Cristler C., Cranston S. S., Tucker B. Teachers and parents as researchers using multiple baseline designs. J Appl Behav Anal. 1970 Winter;3(4):247–255. doi: 10.1901/jaba.1970.3-247. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  8. Hall R. V., Fox R., Willard D., Goldsmith L., Emerson M., Owen M., Davis F., Porcia E. The teacher as observer and experimenter in the modification of disputing and talking-out behaviors. J Appl Behav Anal. 1971 Summer;4(2):141–149. doi: 10.1901/jaba.1971.4-141. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  9. 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]
  10. Madsen C. H., Becker W. C., Thomas D. R. Rules, praise, and ignoring: elements of elementary classroom control. J Appl Behav Anal. 1968 Summer;1(2):139–150. doi: 10.1901/jaba.1968.1-139. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  11. Pendergrass V. E. Timeout from positive reinforcement following persistent, high-rate behavior in retardates. J Appl Behav Anal. 1972 Spring;5(1):85–91. doi: 10.1901/jaba.1972.5-85. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  12. Peterson R. F., Peterson L. R. The use of positive reinforcement in the control of self-destructive behavior in a retarded boy. J Exp Child Psychol. 1968 Sep;6(3):351–360. doi: 10.1016/0022-0965(68)90116-1. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  13. REYNOLDS G. S. Behavioral contrast. J Exp Anal Behav. 1961 Jan;4:57–71. doi: 10.1901/jeab.1961.4-57. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  14. Risley T. R. The effects and side effects of punishing the autistic behaviors of a deviant child. J Appl Behav Anal. 1968 Spring;1(1):21–34. doi: 10.1901/jaba.1968.1-21. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  15. Tate B. G., Baroff G. S. Aversive control of self-injurious behavior in a psychotic boy. Behav Res Ther. 1966 Nov;4(4):281–287. doi: 10.1016/0005-7967(66)90024-6. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  16. Thomas D. R., Becker W. C., Armstrong M. Production and elimination of disruptive classroom behavior by systematically varying teacher's behavior. J Appl Behav Anal. 1968 Spring;1(1):35–45. doi: 10.1901/jaba.1968.1-35. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  17. WILLIAMS C. D. The elimination of tantrum behavior by extinction procedures. J Abnorm Soc Psychol. 1959 Sep;59:269–269. doi: 10.1037/h0046688. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  18. Wasik B. H., Senn K., Welch R. H., Cooper B. R. Behavior modification with culturally deprived school children: two case studies. J Appl Behav Anal. 1969 Fall;2(3):181–194. doi: 10.1901/jaba.1969.2-181. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  19. Webster D. R., Azrin N. H. Required relaxation: a method of inhibiting agitative-disruptive behavior of retardates. Behav Res Ther. 1973 Feb;11(1):67–78. doi: 10.1016/0005-7967(73)90070-3. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  20. 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