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PROMOTING AUTOMOBILE SAFETY BELT USE BY YOUNG CHILDREN
Author(s) -
SowersHoag Karen M.,
Thyer Bruce A.,
Bailey Jon S.
Publication year - 1987
Publication title -
journal of applied behavior analysis
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.1
H-Index - 76
eISSN - 1938-3703
pISSN - 0021-8855
DOI - 10.1901/jaba.1987.20-133
Subject(s) - generalizability theory , psychology , multiple baseline design , occupational safety and health , injury prevention , poison control , intervention (counseling) , human factors and ergonomics , assertiveness , baseline (sea) , developmental psychology , medicine , social psychology , medical emergency , psychiatry , pathology , oceanography , geology
A program using behavioral practice, assertiveness training, and social and contrived reinforcers was developed to establish and maintain automobile safety belt use by young children. Sixteen children (ages 4.8 to 7 years) who never used their safety belts during a 5‐day preexperimental observation period were randomly assigned to two groups of eight each. A multiple baseline design across groups was used to evaluate the effectiveness of the training program. During the 8‐day baseline period for Group 1, no children used their safety belts when unobtrusively observed while being driven from school. During the 26‐day intervention period, the children were buckled up on 96% of the observations. Follow‐up probes conducted 2–3 months after program discontinuance found safety belt use to range from 86% to 100%. For Group 2, the 14‐day baseline safety belt use averaged 6% and increased to a mean of 81% during the 20‐day training and maintenance program. Follow‐up probes 2–3 months later found safety belt use to occur during 75% to 96% of the observations. Parent questionnaires indicated the generalizability and social validity of the program.