The modification of a child's enuresis: some response-response relationships

Area of Science:

• Behavioral Psychology
• Child Psychology
• Clinical Psychology

Background:

• Enuresis (bed-wetting) and oppositional behavior are common childhood issues.
• The relationship between these two behavioral response classes requires further experimental investigation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To experimentally evaluate the relationship between enuresis and oppositional behavior.
• To assess the impact of behavioral interventions on both conditions.

Main Methods:

• A single-subject design was employed, observing one child with a history of enuresis and oppositional behavior in a home setting.
• Interventions included timeout operations and differential attention, systematically applied and withdrawn.
• Data collection involved parent reports and direct observations of oppositional behavior and enuretic activity.

Main Results:

• The frequency of oppositional behavior decreased when interventions were applied and increased when they were removed.
• Enuretic activity showed a correlation with the presence and absence of the behavioral interventions.
• The suppression of both oppositional behavior and enuresis persisted for 18 months.

Conclusions:

• Parental behavioral interventions targeting oppositional behavior can effectively reduce enuresis.
• The effectiveness of parental interventions may be linked to increased social reward value and altered reinforcer effectiveness.