Advanced Search

Journal Navigation

Journal Home

Subscriptions

Archive

Contact Us

Table of Contents

Click here to submit your manuscript to SPPS

Click here to sign up for SAGE Journal Email Alerts today!

Sign In to gain access to subscriptions and/or personal tools.
Behavior Modification
This Article
Right arrow Full Text (PDF)
Right arrow References
Right arrow Alert me when this article is cited
Right arrow Alert me if a correction is posted
Services
Right arrow Email this article to a friend
Right arrow Similar articles in this journal
Right arrow Alert me to new issues of the journal
Right arrow Add to Saved Citations
Right arrow Download to citation manager
Right arrowRequest Permissions
Right arrow Request Reprints
Right arrow Add to My Marked Citations
Citing Articles
Right arrow Citing Articles via HighWire
Right arrow Citing Articles via Google Scholar
Right arrow Citing Articles via Scopus
Google Scholar
Right arrow Articles by Mayhew, G.
Right arrow Articles by Harris, F.
Right arrow Search for Related Content
PubMed
Right arrow Articles by Mayhew, G.
Right arrow Articles by Harris, F.
Social Bookmarking
Add to CiteULike   Add to Complore   Add to Connotea   Add to Del.icio.us   Add to Digg   Add to Reddit   Add to Technorati   Add to Twitter  
What's this?

Decreasing Self-Injurious Behavior

Punishment with Citric Acid and Reinforcement of Alternative Behavior

Gerald Mayhew

Colin Anderson Center

Francis Harris

Colin Anderson Center

A profoundly mentally retarded adolescent received contingent citric acid applied to his mouth for engaging in self-injurious behvior (SIB) and tantrum screaming. A combination multiple baseline across behaviors and reversal design was used. Citric acid was first introduced for screaming and then for SIB. When the solution was delivered for screaming, this behavior decreased while SIB remained high. Presentation of citric acid for SIB was also associated with a decrease in that behavior. Withdrawal of punishment for the SIB was associated with an increase in the behavior, while reintroduction of the citric acid resulted in a decrease in the behavior. Following this condition, proximity to and orientation toward the trainer was positively reinforced in addition to the punishment contingency. Reinforcement for these behaviors was then withdrawn and reintroduced. Those conditions in which positive reinforcement was presented and SIB was punished were associated with the most consistently low levels of self-injurious behavior. The data suggest that citric acid may be an effective punisher in decreasing a variety of behaviors.

Behavior Modification, Vol. 3, No. 3, 322-336 (1979)
DOI: 10.1177/014544557933002
Add to CiteULike CiteULike   Add to Complore Complore   Add to Connotea Connotea   Add to Del.icio.us Del.icio.us   Add to Digg Digg   Add to Reddit Reddit   Add to Technorati Technorati   Add to Twitter Twitter    What's this?


This article has been cited by other articles:


Home page
 Remedial and Special EducationHome page
T. J. Zirpoli and J. W. Wills Lloyd
Understanding and Managing Self-Injurious Behavior
Remedial and Special Education, September 1, 1987; 8(5): 46 - 57.
[Abstract] [PDF]