Citation

Pace GM, Iwata BA, Edwards GL, McCosh KC. J. Appl. Behav. Anal. 1986; 19(4): 381-389.

Copyright

(Copyright © 1986, Wiley-Blackwell)

DOI

10.1901/jaba.1986.19-381

PMID

3804871

PMCID

PMC1308087

Abstract

We conducted several manipulations of mechanical restraint properties during the course of treatment for two profoundly retarded adolescents who exhibited both self-restraint and self-injurious behavior. In study 1, a combination of prompting, differential reinforcement, and stimulus fading reduced one subject's self-restraint, which consisted of holding rigid tubes on his arms. Subsequently, stimulus control of both self-restraint and self-injurious behavior was transferred to tennis wrist bands. In study 2, a second subject's self-restraint--placing his hands in his pants--was immediately eliminated by the use of air splints. Additionally, differential reinforcement and air-pressure fading resulted in the complete mobility of his arms and a substantial increase in appropriate behaviors. Results of this investigation suggest that stimulus fading and transfer may be valuable components in the elimination of self-restraint.

Language: en