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A COMPARISON OF NONCONTINGENT REINFORCEMENT AND SENSORY EXTINCTION AS TREATMENTS FOR SELF‐INJURIOUS BEHAVIOR
Author(s) -
Roscoe Eileen M.,
Iwata Brian A.,
Goh HanLeong
Publication year - 1998
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.1998.31-635
Subject(s) - reinforcement , psychology , extinction (optical mineralogy) , audiology , multiple baseline design , sensory system , functional analysis , developmental psychology , clinical psychology , medicine , psychiatry , neuroscience , social psychology , intervention (counseling) , paleontology , biology , biochemistry , chemistry , gene
We compared the effects of two treatments, noncontingent reinforcement (NCR) and sensory extinction (EXT), on the self‐injurious behavior (SIB) exhibited by 3 individuals with developmental disabilities. Results of a functional analysis indicated that their SIB was not maintained by social reinforcement, as indicated by undifferentiated responding across assessment conditions or higher rates of responding in the alone condition. Prior to treatment, leisure probes were conducted to identify highly preferred items for use in the NCR condition, and equipment probes were conducted to identify devices that produced the greatest behavioral suppression for use in the EXT condition. Following baseline, treatment was implemented in a multiple baseline across subjects design, and the effects of NCR and EXT were compared in a multielement format. During NCR sessions, participants had continuous access to a highly preferred item. During EXT sessions, participants wore equipment (gloves or protective sleeves) that seemed to attenuate stimulation directly produced by their SIB, while still allowing the behavior to occur. Results indicated that both procedures were effective in reducing SIB, although NCR was associated with either more rapid or greater overall response suppression.