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Treatment of multiply controlled problem behavior
Insights
Aggressive behavior in a child with developmental delays decreased when social interaction was added to breaks, suggesting its importance in managing multiply controlled behaviors.
Area of Science:
- Developmental Psychology
- Applied Behavior Analysis
Background:
- Problem behavior in children with developmental delays can be multiply controlled.
- Understanding the function of behavior is crucial for effective intervention.
Observation:
- Aggressive behavior occurred when a child was asked to stop playing and pick up toys.
- This request signaled the end of play and social interaction, suggesting multiple establishing operations.
Findings:
- Initial treatment with praise, breaks, and toy access contingent on compliance showed limited success.
- Aggression significantly decreased only when social interaction was incorporated into the break component.
Implications:
- Social interaction may be a critical component in treating multiply controlled problem behavior.
- Interventions can be designed to address multiple behavioral functions without relying solely on extinction.
Abstract:
The aggressive behavior of a young boy with developmental delays occurred most frequently following a request to pick up his toys. The request ended a period of play and social interaction. This suggested the presence of multiple establishing operations. The initial treatment consisted of praise, a break, and access to the toys contingent on compliance. Results showed that aggression decreased only when we added social interaction to the break. Findings are discussed regarding treating multiply controlled problem behavior without extinction.