Related Experiment Videos
Analysis of a high-probability instructional sequence and time-out in the treatment of child noncompliance
A K Rortvedt1, R G Miltenberger
1Psychology Department, North Dakota State University, Fargo 58105.
Insights
High-probability requests and time-out interventions were tested for noncompliance in children. Time-out effectively improved compliance in both children, with lasting results at follow-up.
Area of Science:
- Behavioral Psychology
- Child Development
Background:
- Noncompliance in children can be challenging for parents and educators.
- Attention-maintained behavior is a common factor contributing to noncompliance.
Observation:
- Two developmentally normal children exhibiting noncompliance were observed.
- The study focused on interventions for noncompliance potentially maintained by contingent attention.
Findings:
- High-probability requests partially improved compliance in one child.
- Time-out intervention proved effective for both children's noncompliance.
- Compliance improvements were sustained eight weeks post-intervention.
Implications:
- Time-out is a potentially effective strategy for addressing attention-maintained noncompliance.
- Further research may explore tailored interventions for individual noncompliance patterns.
- Behavioral interventions can lead to sustained improvements in child compliance.
Abstract:
This study evaluated the effectiveness of high-probability requests and time-out as treatments for noncompliance that appeared to be maintained by contingent attention in 2 developmentally normal children. The introduction of high-probability requests increased compliance for 1 child but not the other. Time-out was effective with both children, and improvements in compliance were maintained at an 8-week follow-up.