Recent research has shown...

Recent research has shown that the noncontingent delivery of competing stimuli can effectively reduce rates of destructive behavior maintained by social-positive reinforcement, even when the contingency for destructive behavior remains intact. It may be useful, therefore, to have a systematic means for predicting which reinforcers do and do not compete successfully with the reinforcer that is maintaining destructive behavior. In the present study, we conducted a brief competing stimulus assessment in which noncontingent access to a variety of tangible stimuli (one toy per trial) was superimposed on a fixed-ratio 1 schedule of attention for destructive behavior for individuals whose behavior was found to be reinforced by attention during a functional analysis. Tangible stimuli that resulted in the lowest rates of destructive behavior and highest percentages of engagement during the competing stimulus assessment were subsequently used in a noncontingent tangible items plus extinction treatment package and were compared to noncontingent attention plus extinction and extinction alone. Results indicated that both treatments resulted in greater reductions in the target behavior than did extinction alone and suggested that the competing stimulus assessment may be helpful in predicting stimuli that can enhance the effects of extinction when noncontingent attention is unavailable.


Source:

Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, v37 n2 p171 Sum 2004

http://eric.ed.gov/ERICWebPortal/custom/portlets/recordDetails/detailmini.jsp?_nfpb=true&_&ERICExtSearch_SearchValue_0=EJ696376&ERICExtSearch_SearchType_0=no&accno=EJ696376


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Mark Rovell Sr. Commentary 013009

Wrong direction to go in. Animal Psychology being applied to humans. Self-determination and self-control are the directions to go in, not having an individual dependent on precise artificial, external circumstances to correct destructive behavior.

If you are engaged in any behavior, and need certain environmental circumstances to be present, in order for you to stop that behavior, you are out of control.