Reduction of stereotyped body-rocking using variable time reinforcement: practical and theoretical implications

Area of Science:

• Behavioral Psychology
• Developmental Disabilities
• Clinical Psychology

Background:

• Stereotyped behaviors are common in individuals with profound intellectual disabilities.
• Understanding the function of stereotypy is crucial for effective intervention.
• Previous reinforcement schedules had mixed results in reducing stereotypy.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess the effectiveness of differential reinforcement of other behavior (DRO) and variable time (VT) reinforcement schedules in reducing stereotypy.
• To evaluate the efficacy of VT reinforcement alone in profoundly retarded patients.

Main Methods:

• Two experiments were conducted. The first compared DRO and VT schedules.
• The second experiment focused solely on the VT schedule with five profoundly retarded female subjects.
• Stereotypy levels were measured against baseline.

Main Results:

• The DRO schedule implementation was problematic and the experiment was terminated early.
• The VT schedule appeared to reduce stereotypy in the first experiment.
• Significant decreases in stereotypy were observed in all subjects during the second experiment using the VT schedule.

Conclusions:

• Variable time reinforcement is a potentially effective method for reducing stereotyped behaviors in profoundly retarded individuals.
• Stereotypies may serve different functions in ward versus laboratory environments.
• These findings have implications for tailoring treatment approaches for stereotyped behaviors in clinical settings.