Researchers acknowledge a strong association between the frequency and duration of environmental reward and affective mood states, particularly in relation to the etiology, assessment, and treatment of depression. Given behavioral theories that outline environmental reward as a strong mediator of affect and the unavailability of an efficient,…

With the inclusion of students identified as at-risk or with serious behavior problems in general physical education, behavior management has become ever more challenging. A positive behavior-management plan that fosters behavior changes through support and intervention, rather than punishment used to control students, can prove effective.…

The present experiment compared the effects of a food-based conditioned inhibitor on food seeking vs. cocaine seeking behavior. In two groups of rats, the A+/AB- Pavlovian conditioned inhibition procedure was used to create a conditioned inhibitor for food. Then, for one group of rats (Food-Food Group), a click stimulus was established as an…

Examination of responding under various schedule arrangements is a core component of many analyses of operant behavior. Much of the pioneering work in applied behavior analysis was bred from laboratory research involving the exposure of nonhuman subjects to a variety of schedule arrangements. Hodos (1961) described a schedule arrangement in which…

A study to identify and assess the withdrawal symptoms in adolescents afflicted with cannabis dependence is conducted. Results conclude that withdrawal symptoms of cannabis were present in adolescents seeking treatment for this substance abuse.

This paper examines techniques for dealing with behavior problems in students. The Bill of Rights and the 14th Amendment protect individuals' rights and must be considered in developing effective punitive consequences to control misbehaving students. Due process must be practiced in handling disciplinary sanctions. Principals and teachers can use…

This study examined the effects of an assessment-based intervention plan on the appropriate classroom behavior of a socially withdrawn, Hispanic, learning disabled, third grade student. The study focused on (1) the effects of peer mediation as part of a behavioral intervention package of empirically validated components, (2) the effects of…

Students with emotional and behavioral disorders (EBD) are found internationally. This systematic literature review identifies interventions conducted on these students. Although the U.S. produces abundant studies on effective school-based academic and behavioral interventions, a search of over 4,000 articles published over 6 years yielded only 11…

Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is an illness characterized by intrusive and distressing thoughts, images, or impulses (i.e., obsessions) and by repetitive mental or behavioral acts (i.e., compulsions) performed to prevent or reduce distress. Efficacious treatments for OCD include psychotropic medications and exposure and response prevention…

School-wide, selective, and individual positive behavioral supports are critical elements of a comprehensive, tiered model of service delivery. Positive peer reporting (PPR) involves brief, highly structured sessions during which peers are provided the opportunity to praise the behavior of target students. PPR procedures were modified in this…

Although experimental analysis methodologies have been useful for identifying the function of a wide variety of target behaviors (e.g., Iwata, Dorsey, Slifer, Bauman, & Richman, 1982/1994), only recently have such procedures been applied to verbal operants (Lerman et al., 2005). In the current study, we conducted a systematic replication of the…

SOME OF THE PROBLEMS IN ARRIVING AT A TRAINING PROGRAM FOR BEHAVIOR THERAPISTS STEM FROM THE DIFFICULTY IN DEFINING BEHAVIOR THERAPY. BASICALLY, HOWEVER, A PERSON'S DIFFICULTY IS UNDERSTOOD AS HIS BEHAVIOR IN REACTION TO SITUATIONS. THIS BEHAVIOR RESULTS FROM A CURRENT OR PREVIOUS REINFORCER. NORMAL AND ABNORMAL BEHAVIOR DIFFER ONLY IN THE TERMS…

The conceptual and methodological aspects of various systems of counseling and psychotherapy are evaluated in relation to characteristics of the mentally retarded. A behavioral approach to modification of problem behaviors is presented as an alternative to the range of counseling and psychotherapy approaches reviewed and considered ineffective and…

A five-and-one-half-year-old boy with encopresis (fecal soiling) was successfully treated by a cognitive behavior modification approach in which the child's lavatory time was scheduled and the situation was discussed in an accepting but positive manner. (CL)

This study examined the effectiveness of momentary Differential Reinforcement of Other Behaviors DRO (mDRO) and whole interval DRO (wDRO) schedules on high rates of disruptive behavior in children. In both procedures, children earned tokens for the absence of disruptive behavior and exchanged tokens for tangible or edible reinforcers. mDRO and…