Gp. Hanley et al., STIMULUS-CONTROL AND RESISTANCE TO EXTINCTION IN ATTENTION-MAINTAINEDSIB, Research in developmental disabilities, 18(4), 1997, pp. 251-260
A functional analysis of the self-injurious behavior (SIE) of a young
man diagnosed with severe mental retardation demonstrated that SIE was
sensitive to social attention as reinforcement. In addition, lower bu
t consistent rates of SIB occurred in sessions where a person was pres
ent (Demand and Toy Play), and a gradual decrease in SIE was observed
across sessions where a person was not present (Alone). Evaluation of
the within-session tr-ends of SIE during the functional analysis demon
strated that SIE maintained throughout each Social Attention session a
nd declined within and across Alone sessions. This pattern of respondi
ng suggested that the presence of a person may have differentially aff
ected rates of SIE independent of the programmed consequences for SIE.
In a subsequent analysis, SIE was reduced to near-zero lei els in the
absence of a person, but maintained in the presence of a pet-son even
when attention was withheld, suggesting that the response was highly
resistant to extinction. The results of these assessments then were us
ed to develop a treatment to reduce the client's SIE. During treatment
, a per son was present and delivered attention only when the client a
ppropriately; communicated. SIE resulted ii? the removal of the antece
dent stimulus that exerted control over the response (i.e., the person
left the room). The findings of this investigation are discussed in r
e,ms of the differential effects of stimuli on interpretation of funct
ional analysis results and the subsequent development of treatment. (C
) 1997 Elsevier Science Ltd.