STIMULUS-CONTROL AND RESISTANCE TO EXTINCTION IN ATTENTION-MAINTAINEDSIB

Citation
Gp. Hanley et al., STIMULUS-CONTROL AND RESISTANCE TO EXTINCTION IN ATTENTION-MAINTAINEDSIB, Research in developmental disabilities, 18(4), 1997, pp. 251-260
Citations number
11
Categorie Soggetti
Rehabilitation
ISSN journal
08914222
Volume
18
Issue
4
Year of publication
1997
Pages
251 - 260
Database
ISI
SICI code
0891-4222(1997)18:4<251:SARTEI>2.0.ZU;2-9
Abstract
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.