A child with a diagnosis of mild mental retardation was treated for encopresis. Positive reinforcement procedures for continence and logical consequences for soiling were effective in accomplishing complete continence during the final phase of treatment. An ABCDA design with a decelerating rate of reinforcement was utilized to assess treatment…

Stimulus control is evident when a specific antecedent object or event (discriminative stimulus) increases the probability that a specific behavior will occur. A behavioral intervention is described whereby a teacher's stimulus control was successfully generalized to a paraprofessional playground aide. The generalization procedure increased the…

In Study 1 the aggressive behavior of a deaf/blind adolescent was eliminated through a differential reinforcement of other behavior (DRO) procedure combined with a reinforcer cueing technique and brief time-out. In Study 2 DRO reduced stereotypic eye-pressing by a young blind hearing-impaired child. (Author/CL)

Describes four experiments conducted using a children's storybook and related games designed to help overcome fear of the dark. These materials incorporate behavior modification principles of fear reduction, including modeling, counterconditioning, shaping and hierarchical approach. Overall, the materials were found to be therapeutic,…

A package style of treatment, in which a number of behavior modification procedures were administered simultaneously, resulted in significantly reducing the aggression of a 24-year-old severely retarded institutionalized woman. The package included a token system, timeout, and a restitutional overcorrection procedure. (CL)

The Good Behavior Game was modified to include a token reinforcement system (Good Behavior Game Plus Merit). It proved successful in reducing disruptive behavior and improving assignment completion in two students designated as high-risk for placement in a behaviorally impaired classroom. General Acceptability and uses of the intervention are…

Used a cognitive behavioral treatment approach to eliminate bingeing and purging in a 16-year-old high school female. Results indicated that incidents of purging reduced substantially and that the frequency of purging may continue to remain at zero given occasional booster treatments. (LLL)

Assessed the effectiveness of the Gerontology Alcohol Project, a self management treatment program for adult-onset alcohol abusers. Results indicated a marked success for those completing the treatment program, including an improved social support network. (JAC)

Reviews the types of elective mutism and proposes common characteristics of elective mutists' families. Examines the potential for a redefinition of the term "elective mutism." Concludes that family dynamics are an integral part of the problem and need to be considered in a comprehensive treatment plan. (BH)

Contingencies operating in the health care industry can have direct effects upon applications of behavioral technology to the hospital treatment of psychiatric patients. Although behavioral technology has made little impact upon the general practice of psychiatry, shifting economic and political contingencies may favor the specificity,…

Research at the University of Pittsburgh will concentrate on developing assessment instruments and accompanying instructional strategies (including behavior modification training for parents) for autisiclike preschool children and their families. (Author/CL)

Administered participant modeling (PM) alone, PM with simultaneous self-instructional training, PM with self-verbalization, or placebo treatment to phobics (N=36) to determine whether cognitive treatment would enhance the effectivenesss of PM. Results showed that the three PM treatments produced equivalent improvement in behavior and the placebo…

An individual free token/response cost system was used to decrease the stuttering of an elementary-level student. Reasons for the effectiveness of this technique may include its provision of immediate feedback, use of visual cues, and simple recordkeeping. (Author/CL)

The present study suggests that parent training alone, or methylphenidate alone, are both sufficient to produce noticeable, clinically significant improvements in behavior of hyperactive children. The research did not show, however, that a combination of treatments is any more effective than either treatment alone. (Author/GC)

The case study demonstrates the use of negative reinforcement for initial response conditioning of a seven-year-old deaf, blind, physically handicapped boy. A systematic procedure for reinforcer sampling failed to identify items for positive reinforcers. A procedure for removal of an aversive stimulus (negative reinforcement) was then successfully…