Findings from a randomized controlled design study of an ability-based versus needs-based approach to response-contingent learning among children with significant developmental delays and disabilities who did not use instrumental behavior to produce reinforcing consequences are reported. The ability-based intervention and needs-based intervention…

Despite the central status of avoidance in explaining the etiology and maintenance of anxiety disorders, surprisingly little behavioral research has been conducted on human avoidance. In the present paper, first we provide a brief review of the empirical literature on avoidance. Next, we describe the implications of research on derived relational…

When neural events are analyzed as stimuli and responses, functional relations among them and among overt stimuli and responses can be unveiled. The integration of neuroscience and the experimental analysis of behavior is beginning to provide empirical evidence of involvement of neural events in the three-term contingency relating discriminative…

Extinction of operantly conditioned responses, which provides a measure of the ability to adapt to changes in the reinforcement value of stimuli, has been linked to orbitofrontal cortex (OFC) in human and non-human animals. This article examines the feasibility of using extinction as a measure of the development of OFC function in preschool-age…

Two studies measured the feasibility of DRO (differential reinforcement of other behavior) and VT (variable time) reinforcement in reducing body rocking stereotypy of institutionalized severely and profoundly retarded adults (N=2 and 5). (CL)

Four treatment procedures were evaluated for effectiveness in reducing self injurious behavior (SIB) of 22 severely handicapped students. Treatment procedures included contingent restraint, reinforcement withdrawal, differential reinforcement of incompatible behavior, and ommission training (rewarding the S for not emitting the SIB response).…

In this case study, interactions were examined between features of Rett syndrome and operant conditioning as determinants of self-injurious behavior (SIB). Analysis suggested different functions for two forms of SIB: automatic reinforcement by sensory stimulation and escape from social interactions. Features of Rett syndrome tended to maximize the…

This paper reports to two experiments designed to develop a behavioral procedure to teach young children emergency dialing skills. Experiment 1 evaluated the effects of a behavioral procedure administered by the classroom teachers. In the classrooms training focused upon making phone calls in emergency situations. Six steps in emergency dialing…

Child abuse and neglect is seen as an abnormal parenting behavior which has resulted from neglect or abuse of the abusive parents during their early lives. Included are brief sections on the following topics: the development of the abusive child-rearing pattern (lack of sufficient love and care, extremely high premature demand for performance, and…