THE USE OF NONCONTINGENT REINFORCEMENT AND CONTINGENT RESTRAINT TO REDUCE PHYSICAL AGGRESSION AND SELF-INJURIOUS-BEHAVIOR IN A TRAUMATICALLY BRAIN-INJURED ADULT

Many different intervention programmes for reducing undesirable behavi our with people with traumatic brain injury (TBI) have been investigat ed in recent years. The purpose of this study was to examine the poten tial of using noncontingent reinforcement (NCR) in combination with co ntingent restraint to reduce severe behaviour. The subject (E.L.) was a 40-year-old male with TBI admitted to a rehabilitation long-term car e programme. E.L. had a history of physical aggression (PA) and self-i njurious behaviour (SIB). Assessment conditions included a descriptive analysis, response scatterplot and Self-Injury Trauma (SIT) Scale. At tention was identified as the maintaining positive reinforcement for P A and SIE. Treatment conditions were compared using a reversal (ABAB) design. Attention (NCR) was delivered on a fixed-time schedule that wa s not dependent on the subject's behaviour. Contingent restraint was a pplied when E.L. exhibited PA or SIE that was dangerous to himself or others. During treatment, PA occurred over 4 times less often and SIE over 2.5 times less often. Results demonstrated that PA and SIE were s ensitive to NCR. NCR can be an effective procedure for reducing severe behaviour maintained by socially-mediated positive reinforcement.