THE EVALUATION AND TREATMENT OF AGGRESSION MAINTAINED BY ATTENTION AND AUTOMATIC REINFORCEMENT

In the current investigation, we used direct and indirect methods to a ssess and treat several topographies of aggression that were hypothesi zed to have separate operant functions in a young boy with severe ment al retardation and pervasive developmental disorder. First, a function al analysis of aggression, using the methods described by Iwata, Dorse y, Slifer, Bauman, and Richman (1982/1994), was conducted and produced inconclusive results. Next, indirect methods were used to develop a s econd functional analysis, which showed that chin grinding (firmly pre ssing and grinding his chin against the skin and bones of others) pers isted independent of social contingencies and that the other topograph ies of aggression (e.g., hitting, kicking) were maintained by social p ositive reinforcement (attention). A treatment designed to decrease ag gression maintained by attention-functional communication training wit h extinction-reduced all forms of aggression except chin grinding. Thi s latter topography of aggression, which we hypothesized was maintaine d by automatic reinforcement, was reduced when the response-reinforcer relation was interrupted through response blocking and the child was provided with an alternative form of chin stimulation.