Purpose: Communication plays an important role in health decisions and behaviors. Friends and family exert influence through communication and, when considering smoking, this is particularly salient among those friends and family who smoke. Guided by primary socialization theory and integrated behavioral model, the present study examined the…

In the context of instructional demands, compliance and problem behavior can be considered concurrent operants. Of applied interest is increasing one response (i.e., compliance) while decreasing the other (i.e., problem behavior). Strategic arrangement of reinforcement can alter response allocation accordingly. Such schedules can also influence…

The study investigates the development of English multiword negation, in particular the negation of zero marked verbs (e.g. "no sleep", "not see", "can't reach") from a usage-based perspective. The data was taken from a dense database consisting of the speech of an English-speaking child (Brian) aged 2;3-3;4 (MLU 2.05-3.1) and his mother. The…

A case study is presented in which aggressive behavior of two pre-school boys on a nursery school bus was modified by the introduction of a negative punishment contingency in which the Ss were told they would be detained on the bus until the second time the bus passed their house (delay of reinforcement) if abusive behavior occurred. (Author)

Assessment of self-injurious behavior (SIB) in three individuals with developmental disabilities revealed that the behavior was an escape response maintained by negative reinforcement. Treatment consisted of extinction plus instructional fading and resulted in immediate and large reductions in SIB behaviors. Maintenance occurred as instruction…

This study examined the effects of blocking self-injurious behavior on the self-restraint of a 19-year-old male with severe mental retardation. Consistent with the negative reinforcement hypothesis, blocking SIB resulted in near-zero levels of SIB and moderate reductions in self-restraint. (Author/DB)

Obscene verbalizations in an individual with traumatic brain injury were treated using stimulus fading as the singular form of intervention. Results of a functional assessment revealed the obscenity was maintained by negative reinforcement. Stimulus fading (the gradual reintroduction of instructional demands) produced immediate and substantial…

This paper presents a review of relevant literature on treatment approaches for the modification of smoking behavior, followed by an outline of an approach developed by the author to decrease his own rate of cigarette smoking. Studies are reviewed which have used various treatment methods: use of electric shock, satiation and/or use of cigarette…

The self-injurious avoidance responses of a 22-year-old severely mentally retarded male were eliminated through a forced running consequence. Side effects, such as reduced noise, increase in smiling, and faster progress toward instructional objectives, were also noted. The results were maintained over a period of two years. (Author/PHR)

This study applied functional behavioral analysis to the destructive behaviors of two young boys with multiple disabilities including behavior disorders. Results suggested that the subjects' destructive behaviors were sensitive to both escape and attention as reinforcers. Results support the importance of establishing operations in determining the…

Analysis of the effects of a short break contingent on completed work with a 10-year-old boy with autism and profound mental retardation found the 20-second break increased responding more than a positive reinforcer did, and the reinforcing effects of a 20-second break were affected by the availability of positive reinforcers during the break. (DB)

The self-injurious escape behavior of an adult with developmental disabilities was treated with extinction. Results of a reversal design showed substantial bursts of responding when extinction was introduced and reintroduced: self-injury remained at a variable and elevated rate for some time before stable, low rates were observed. (Author/DB)

Paradoxical strategies appear to provide a change in the dynamics of the teacher-child relationship and are thus a more systemic way of viewing problem behavior than time-out procedures. Three case studies are presented in which the paradoxical strategies have varying degrees of success. (Author/ABB)

Two case studies are presented illustrating how the treatment program eliminated rumination with effects maintained 1 to 9 months following treatment, and how substantial weight gain was also demonstrated with one S who had previously lost weight. (Author/DLS)

Findings showed an interaction between mands (instructional directions) and response type. Only when a mand was given during performance of the sorting task did the frequency of SIB increase. The contingent application of verbal praise had a minor, though systematic, effect in reducing the frequency of SIB. (PHR)