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Functional analysis and treatment of bizarre speech
F C Mace1, M E Webb, R W Sharkey
1Graduate School of Applied and Professional Psychology, Rutgers University, Piscataway, NJ 08855.
Journal of Behavior Therapy and Experimental Psychiatry
|December 1, 1988
Summary
This study analyzed factors maintaining bizarre speech in a woman with schizophrenia and mild mental retardation. Positive interventions, focusing on behavior-environment interactions, proved effective and teachable to staff.
Area of Science:
- Behavioral Psychology
- Clinical Psychology
- Psychiatry
Background:
- Schizophrenia and mild mental retardation can present complex behavioral challenges.
- Understanding the environmental contingencies of aberrant vocalizations is crucial for effective intervention.
Observation:
- Bizarre vocalizations were most frequent under demand conditions.
- Vocalizations were least frequent when attention was contingent upon appropriate speech during one-to-one interactions.
Findings:
- Treatment involved guided compliance and contingent attention for appropriate vocalizations.
- Interventions were based on unique behavior-environment interactions, proving predominantly positive.
Implications:
- Developed interventions were successfully generalized to direct-care staff in various settings.
- This approach highlights the efficacy of analyzing and manipulating environmental factors to manage challenging speech behaviors.