Richman, D. M., Berg, W. K., Wacker, D. P., Stephens, T., Rankin, B., & Kilroy, J. (1997).
Using pretreatment and posttreatment assessments to enhance and evaluate existing treatment packages.
Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis,
30, 709-712.
Pretreatment assessment data were used to enhance an existing
treatment package to reduce aggression and to increase positive
social interactions between a young boy and his peers. Based on
the results of pretreatment assessments, additional reinforcement
(differential reinforcement of alternative behavior with adult
attention) and punishment (performing a nonpreferred task during
time-out) components were added to an existing nonresetting
differential reinforcement of other behavior (access to peers
unless aggression occurred) plus time-out procedure. A
posttreatment component analysis of the additional treatment
components indicated that the reinforcement component facilitated
positive social interactions and the punishment component
suppressed aggression towards peers.
DESCRIPTORS: component analysis, differential reinforcement of
other behavior, differential reinforcement of alternative
behavior, punishment