Comparing the effectiveness of similar and dissimilar competing responses in evaluating the habit reversal treatment for oral-digital habits in children

In the present study 26 children with chronic oral-digital habits were rand omly assigned to 1 of 3 conditions, Group 1 received habit reversal using a similar competing response. Group 2 received habit reversal using a dissim ilar competing response, and Group 3 served as a wait-list control group. T hree videotaped observations were taken at pretreatment and again at posttr eatment In addition, social acceptability data were collected on the treatm ent groups at posttreatment, Results showed that the similar and dissimilar groups were engaging in significantly less oral-digital behavior at posttr eatment when compared to the control group. However, the two treatment grou ps did not differ from each other in terms of treatment gains or acceptabil ity. These results suggest that habit reversal is an effective treatment fo r oral digital habits in children. In addition, it appears that the competi ng response does not function as a physically incompatible behavior. Implic ations of the findings are discussed. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science Ltd. All ri ghts reserved.