Experimental analysis of self-injurious, stereotypic, and collateral behavior of retarded persons: Effects of overcorrection and reinforcement of alternative responding

Abstract

Abstract Three studies were conducted to explore the effects and side-effects of three treatment procedures for reducing aberrant responding. In Study 1 overcorrection was applied, in different phases, to each of two different forms of a single subject's self-injurious behavior in an effort to determine whether there were differential effects on the self-injurious behavior or untreated collateral behavior. In Study 2 the differential effects of overcorrection and reinforcement of alternative responding on a subject's self-injury and collaterals were examined. Study 3 was a replication of Study 2, this time involving stereotypic behavior as a target. Also included was an extension involving the combination of overcorrection and reinforcement as a third treatment technique. Overcorrection was found to be generally the more effective technique for reducing target responses. Systematic positive and negative covariations of collateral behaviors accompanied reductions in target responding. Reinforcement procedures were less effective, but in one case, reduced undesirable collaterals when overcorrection did not.