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Case Reports
. 1996 Spring;29(1):99-102.
doi: 10.1901/jaba.1996.29-99.

Self-restraint as positive reinforcement for self-injurious behavior

R G Smith  1 , D C Lerman, B A Iwata
Affiliations
Case Reports

Self-restraint as positive reinforcement for self-injurious behavior

R G Smith et al. J Appl Behav Anal. 1996 Spring.

Abstract

Many individuals who engage in self-injurious behavior (SIB) also exhibit self-restraint. We compared rates of SIB exhibited by a 32-year-old woman diagnosed with profound retardation across conditions in which access to restraint was (a) continuously available, (b) presented as a consequence for SIB, or (c) unavailable. Rates of SIB increased when access to restraint was contingent upon SIB and decreased when restraint was unavailable, suggesting that self-restraint functioned as positive reinforcement for SIB.

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References

    1. J Appl Behav Anal. 1996 Spring;29(1):107-10 - PubMed
    1. J Appl Behav Anal. 1996 Spring;29(1):103-6 - PubMed
    1. J Appl Behav Anal. 1994 Summer;27(2):197-209 - PubMed
    1. J Appl Behav Anal. 1992 Summer;25(2):433-45 - PubMed

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