SELF-RESTRAINT AS POSITIVE REINFORCEMENT FOR SELF-INJURIOUS-BEHAVIOR

Many individuals who engage in self-injurious behavior (SIB) also exhi bit self-restraint. We compared rates of SIB exhibited by a 32-year-ol d woman diagnosed with profound retardation across conditions in which access to restraint was (a) continuously available, (b) presented as a consequence for SIB, or (c) unavailable. Rates of SIB increased when access to restraint was contingent upon SIB and decreased when restra int was unavailable, suggesting that self-restraint functioned as posi tive reinforcement for SIB.