Three punishment procedures--contingent applications of water mist, lemon juice, and vinegar--were evaluated as aversive treatment methods for a self-stimulatory behavior exhibited by a severely retarded 11-year-old male. The water mist procedure was as effective as lemon juice or vinegar, presented less physical threat to the client, and was…

Cigarette smoking is a leading cause of preventable death in the United States. Many smokers initiate this dangerous behavior during adolescence. This report describes a contingency management intervention designed to initate and maintain a period of abstinence from cigarettes by adolescent smokers. Results suggest that the intervention was…

Recent demonstrations of "reconsolidation" suggest that memories can be modified when they are reactivated. Reconsolidation has been observed in human procedural memory and in implicit memory in infants. This study asks whether episodic memory undergoes reconsolidation. College students learned a list of objects on Day 1. On Day 2, they received a…

Contingency management (CM) for drug abstinence has been applied to individuals independently even when delivered in groups. We developed a group CM intervention in which the behavior of a single, randomly selected, anonymous individual determined reinforcement delivery for the entire group. We also compared contingencies placed only on cocaine…

The paper outlines the basic tactics in pro-active behavior management, a behavior modification approach for use with severely handicapped students which reorders the staff/student relationship by focusing on positive interaction. Pro-active behavior management is noted to involve interruption of established behavior chains, environmental…

Although contingency contracting is a popular strategy for use in treating distressed relationships, there is no direct evidence of its efficacy. A stimulus control model of change in behavioral couples' therapy states that conditions under which an agreement was negotiated are the primary determinants of whether the agreement is upheld. (Author)

Effects of a peer-mediated versus an antecedent prompt condition on the rate of independent movement and appropriate behavior of five handicapped preschool children during three classroom transition periods were evaluated. Results indicated that the antecedent prompt condition was superior. (Author/DB)

A 13-year-old who watched television excessively participated in a behavioral program featuring a token-actuated timer. Earned tokens activated the T.V. for 30-minute periods. The token-exchange system effectively reduced T.V. viewing and reductions were maintained at two followup points. (CL)

A group outcome study evaluated the effectiveness of four treatment procedures in reducing self-injurious behavior among 22 severely handicapped students (mean age 10.5 years). Contingent restraint was most effective in reducing behavior below baseline levels. (Author/CL)

The Kaiser Family Foundation released a report entitled "Kids and Media Use" in the United States that concluded that children's use of media--including television, computers, Internet, video games, and phones--may be one of the primary contributor's to the poor fitness and obesity of many of today's adolescents. The present study examines the…

Verbal and physical aggression are risk factors for community placement of individuals with serious and persistent mental illness. Depending on the motivations involved, treatment typically consists of psychotropic medications and psychosocial interventions, including contingency management procedures and anger management training. Effects of a…

An overview of the behaviorally-oriented fear reduction methods for children is presented. Systematic desensitization and related procedures, flooding-related therapies, contingency management approaches, modeling procedures, and self-control methods are discussed after reviewing normative and prevalence data regarding children's fears. Research…

When positive reinforcement was presented via teacher verbalizations in a noncontingent fixed-time schedule, two autistic children (six and nine years old) increased their percentage of correct responding on difficult and easy tasks. (Author/CL)

A contingency based lottery system was implemented to improve the classroom behavior of 18 learning disabled and educable mentally handicapped students, 13 to 16 years old. The lottery led to greater preparation for class and fewer incidents of talking without permission per student. (Author/CL)

Using free time as a consequence was effective in maintaining accuracy while increasing the percentage of arithmetic assignments completed by an underachieving seven-year-old. Follow-up data revealed that the improvements were maintained even though no programmed consequences were in effect. (Author/CL)