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Multiple reinforcement contingencies to reduce aggression, self‐injury and dysfunctional verbal behaviors in an adult who is sensory impaired
Author(s) -
Bird Frank,
Hepburn Susan,
Rhodes Kevin,
Moniz Diana
Publication year - 1991
Publication title -
behavioral interventions
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.605
H-Index - 34
eISSN - 1099-078X
pISSN - 1072-0847
DOI - 10.1002/bin.2360060506
Subject(s) - differential reinforcement , reinforcement , psychology , aggression , dysfunctional family , developmental psychology , multiple baseline design , contingency management , intervention (counseling) , clinical psychology , audiology , social psychology , psychiatry , medicine
Differential reinforcement of other behavior (DRO) and differential reinforcement of low rates of responding (DRL) have been effective techniques in reducing maladaptive behaviors in therapeutic settings. Reported studies of these reinforcement‐based procedures indicate that they are usually implemented in isolation, targeting only a single behavior or class of behaviors. In this study, multiple DRO and DRL contingencies were utilized concurrently in reducing two distinct classes of behaviors with a 26 year‐old blind man with moderate retardation. One class of behaviors included socially inappropriate verbalizations, while the other included aggressive, self‐injurious and environmentally destructive behaviors. Distinct contingencies were established according to the functions of the targeted behaviors and their severity and separate schedules of reinforcement were derived from baseline frequencies. Over a period of 20 months, the differential reinforcement interventions resulted in rapid reduction of behaviors in both classes to near‐zero rates and frequencies were maintained at this low level while contingency schedules were systematically lengthened. Collateral effects are discussed including performance in functional academics and participation in community integration activities.