Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 20, 2026

Social Threat-Safety Test Uncovers Psychosocial Stress-Related Phenotypes
Published on: December 15, 2023
Competing stimuli in the treatment of multiply controlled problem behavior during hygiene routines
Ethan S Long1, Louis P Hagopian, Iser G Deleon
1The Kennedy Krieger Institute and Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, 707 N. Broadway, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA. elong@aucd.org
Abstract:
The current study describes the use of noncontingent competing stimuli in the treatment of problem behavior exhibited by three individuals during staff-assisted hygiene routines. Functional analyses revealed that particular topographies of problem behaviors appeared to be maintained by their own sensory consequences, whereas other topographies appeared to be maintained by escape from demands. Competing stimulus assessments were then conducted to identify items associated with low levels of automatically-maintained problem behavior and high levels of stimulus engagement. Stimuli associated with low levels of automatically-maintained problem behavior (competing stimuli) were then delivered noncontingently during staff-assisted hygiene routines that were problematic for each participant. In all three cases, substantial reductions in all problem behaviors were observed. These results are discussed in terms of the relative ease of this intervention and possible mechanisms underlying the effects of competing stimuli on behaviors maintained by different types of reinforcement.
Related Concept Videos
Operant Conditioning Intervention
In operant conditioning, behaviors that are...
Behavior Therapy
Exposure therapy is a cornerstone of behavioral treatment for anxiety disorders. It involves systematic exposure to feared stimuli, either in real...
Hand hygiene
Hand washing...
Behaviorism
The core premise of behaviorism is its focus on observable behavior rather than internal thoughts or feelings. This approach argues that true scientific...
Behavior Modification
A real-world application of operant conditioning principles is applied...
Handwashing III: During the Procedure and Post-Procedure Steps

