Thompson, R. H., Fisher, W. W., Piazza, C. C., & Kuhn, D. E. (1998).
The evaluation and treatment of aggression maintained by attention and automatic reinforcement.
Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis,
31, 103-116.
In the current investigation, we used direct and indirect methods
to assess and treat several topographies of aggression that were
hypothesized to have separate operant functions in a young boy
with severe mental retardation and pervasive developmental
disorder. First, a functional analysis of aggression, using the
methods described by Iwata, Dorsey, Slifer, Bauman, and Richman
(1982/1994), was conducted and produced inconclusive results.
Next, indirect methods were used to develop a second functional
analysis, which showed that chin grinding (firmly pressing and
grinding his chin against the skin and bones of others) persisted
independent of social contingencies and that the other
topographies of aggression (e.g., hitting, kicking) were
maintained by social positive reinforcement (attention). A
treatment designed to decrease aggression maintained by attention
- functional communication training with extinction - reduced all
forms of aggression except chin grinding. This latter topography
of aggression, which we hypothesized was maintained by automatic
reinforcement, was reduced when the response—reinforcer
relation was interrupted through response blocking and the child
was provided with an alternative form of chin stimulation.
DESCRIPTORS: aggression, autism, automatic reinforcement,
developmental disabilities, functional analysis