Citation

Silverman K, Watanabe K, Marshall AM, Baer DM. J. Appl. Behav. Anal. 1984; 17(4): 545-552.

Copyright

(Copyright © 1984, Wiley-Blackwell)

DOI

10.1901/jaba.1984.17-545

PMID

6526772

PMCID

PMC1307976

Abstract

We examined the use of protective clothing to reduce a retarded male's face-punching and leg-kicking and two corresponding forms of self-restraint--arm and leg self-restraint. The resident was observed each day in three sessions of randomly ordered conditions (one condition per session): without any protective clothing, with a padded helmet, and with a padded helmet and padded slippers. Use of the padded helmet substantially reduced face-punching and arm self-restraint. The addition of padded slippers reduced leg-kicking and leg self-restraint. These results suggest a practical and effective means of controlling self-injury and self-restraint. They are also consistent with the possibility that the resident's arm restraint was maintained in part by escape or avoidance of face-punching and that his leg restraint was maintained in part by escape or avoidance of leg-kicking.

Language: en