AN ANALYSIS OF THE REINFORCING PROPERTIES OF HAND MOUTHING
- 1 September 1995
- journal article
- research article
- Published by Wiley in Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis
- Vol. 28 (3), 269-283
- https://doi.org/10.1901/jaba.1995.28-269
Abstract
Hand mouthing often has been described as a stereotypic response that is maintained by non-social (automatic) reinforcement; however, data supporting this conclusion can be found in relatively few studies. This series of studies presents an experimental analysis of conditions associated with the maintenance of hand mouthing. In Experiment 1, a functional analysis was conducted for 12 individuals who engaged in chronic hand mouthing to determine whether the behavior is usually maintained independent of social contingencies. Results obtained for 10 subjects were consistent with an automatic reinforcement hypothesis; the remaining 2 subjects' hand mouthing was maintained by social-positive reinforcement. Based on these results, Experiment 2 was designed to identify the specific reinforcing properties of hand mouthing. Each of 4 subjects was provided with a toy that substituted for hand mouthing, and preference for a specific topography of toy manipulation (hand-toy contact or mouth-toy contact) was measured. Results indicated that hand stimulation was the predominant reinforcer for all subjects. Experiment 3 provided an extension of Experiment 2 in that the same responses were measured across a variety of toys presented to each of 5 subjects. Results again indicated that hand stimulation was the predominant reinforcer for all subjects. Implications of these results are discussed with relevance to treatment.Keywords
This publication has 14 references indexed in Scilit:
- THE FUNCTIONS OF SELF‐INJURIOUS BEHAVIOR: AN EXPERIMENTAL‐EPIDEMIOLOGICAL ANALYSISJournal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 1994
- TOWARD A FUNCTIONAL ANALYSIS OF SELF‐INJURYJournal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 1994
- THE SUBSTITUTABILITY OF REINFORCERSJournal of the Experimental Analysis of Behavior, 1993
- EXPERIMENTAL ANALYSIS AND TREATMENT OF MULTIPLY CONTROLLED SELF‐INJURYJournal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 1993
- Treatment of self-injury by providing alternate sensory activitiesAnalysis and Intervention in Developmental Disabilities, 1982
- Air splints applied to control self-injurious finger sucking in profoundly retarded individualsJournal of Behavior Therapy and Experimental Psychiatry, 1980
- TREATMENT OF SELF‐INJURIOUS BEHAVIOR USING A WATER MIST: INITIAL RESPONSE SUPPRESSION AND GENERALIZATIONJournal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 1980
- SENSORY EXTINCTION AND SENSORY REINFORCEMENT PRINCIPLES FOR PROGRAMMING MULTIPLE ADAPTIVE BEHAVIOR CHANGEJournal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 1979
- Sensory Extinction: A procedure for eliminating self-stimulatory behavior in developmentally disabled childrenJournal of Abnormal Child Psychology, 1978
- Toward Some Integration of Learning Theories: The Concept of Optimal StimulationPsychological Reports, 1955