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Comparative Study
. 2012 Summer;45(2):251-63.
doi: 10.1901/jaba.2012.45-251.

Comparing the effects of differential reinforcement of other behavior and response-cost contingencies on tics in youth with Tourette syndrome

Matthew R Capriotti  1 , Bryan C Brandt, Emily J Ricketts, Flint M Espil, Douglas W Woods
Affiliations
Comparative Study

Comparing the effects of differential reinforcement of other behavior and response-cost contingencies on tics in youth with Tourette syndrome

Matthew R Capriotti et al. J Appl Behav Anal. 2012 Summer.

Abstract

Tics are rapid, repetitive, stereotyped movements or vocalizations that arise from neurobiological dysfunction and are influenced by environmental factors. Although persons with tic disorders often experience aversive social reactions in response to tics, little is known about the behavioral effects of such consequences. Along several dimensions, the present study compared the effects of two treatments on tics: response cost (RC) and differential reinforcement of other behavior (DRO). Four children with Tourette syndrome were exposed to free-to-tic baseline, DRO, RC, and quasibaseline rebound evaluation conditions using an alternating treatments design. Both DRO and RC produced substantial decreases in tics from baseline levels. No differential effects of DRO and RC contingencies were seen on self-reported stress or in the strength of the reflexive motivating operation (i.e., premonitory urge) believed to trigger tics, and neither condition produced tic-rebound effects. Implications of these findings and directions for future research are discussed.

Keywords: Tourette syndrome; differential reinforcement; response cost; tics.

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Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Tics per minute across conditions for each subject. Note that y axes are scaled differently to fit the range of the y variable for each subject. BL  =  baseline; BL:RE  =  baseline rebound evaluation; DRO  =  differential reinforcement of other behavior; RC  =  response cost.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Urge ratings across conditions for each subject. BL  =  baseline; BL:RE  =  baseline rebound evaluation; DRO  =  differential reinforcement of other behavior; RC  =  response cost.
Figure 3
Figure 3
Stress ratings across conditions for each subject. BL  =  baseline; BL:RE  =  baseline rebound evaluation; DRO  =  differential reinforcement of other behavior; RC  =  response cost.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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