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REEMERGENCE AND EXTINCTION OF SELF‐INJURIOUS ESCAPE BEHAVIOR DURING STIMULUS (INSTRUCTIONAL) FADING
Author(s) -
Zarcone Jennifer R.,
Iwata Brian A.,
Smith Richard G.,
Mazaleski Jodi L.,
Lerman Dorothea C.
Publication year - 1994
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.1994.27-307
Subject(s) - fading , extinction (optical mineralogy) , psychology , stimulus (psychology) , reinforcement , multiple baseline design , audiology , stimulus control , developmental psychology , social psychology , medicine , cognitive psychology , statistics , psychiatry , chemistry , mathematics , nicotine , intervention (counseling) , decoding methods , mineralogy
Based on results of a functional analysis indicating that the self‐injurious behavior (SIB) of 3 individuals was maintained by negative reinforcement (escape from instructional situations), the effects of stimulus (instructional) fading were evaluated in a multiple baseline design across subjects. The rate of instructions was reduced to zero at the beginning of treatment and was gradually increased (faded in) across sessions as long as SIB remained low. However, if SIB remained high for 10 consecutive sessions, extinction was implemented until SIB decreased, at which point extinction was withdrawn and fading was resumed. Treatment was completed when the rate of instructions was the same as in baseline (two per minute), and SIB remained below 0.5 responses per minute for two consecutive sessions. Results showed that instructional fading (without extinction) virtually eliminated SIB initially, but these effects were not maintained. All 3 subjects required multiple exposures to extinction and over 150 treatment sessions in order to meet the end‐of‐treatment criteria. Advantages and limitations of fading procedures without an extinction component, as well as extensions of both interventions to other clinical problems, are discussed.