Premium
A PRELIMINARY EVALUATION OF EMPIRICALLY DERIVED CONSEQUENCES FOR THE TREATMENT OF PICA
Author(s) -
Fisher Wayne W.,
Piazza Cathleen C.,
Bowman Lynn G.,
Kurtz Patricia F.,
Sherer Michelle R.,
Lachman Susan R.
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.1994.27-447
Subject(s) - pica (typography) , psychology , stimulus control , developmental psychology , stimulus (psychology) , discriminative model , clinical psychology , cognitive psychology , psychiatry , machine learning , world wide web , computer science , nicotine
Individualized treatment packages were developed for 3 children with high‐rate severe pica using a discrimination training paradigm and a behavioral assessment‐based procedure known as empirically derived consequences. Children received empirically derived reinforcers for eating under appropriate stimulus conditions (i.e., eating food only from a plate and placemat that served as a discriminative stimulus) and empirically derived punishers for attempts to engage in pica. This treatment package resulted in marked reductions in pica and an increase in appropriate eating for all 3 children in a “baited” analogue condition. In addition, low rates of pica were maintained for 9 months for all 3 children. These results suggest that treatment effectiveness may be enhanced when behavioral assessment data are used to identify potent consequences.