Decreasing signs of negative affect and correlated self-injury in an individual with mental retardation and mood disturbances.

Lindauer, S.E., DeLeon, I.G. & Fisher, W.W.(1999). Decreasing signs of negative affect and correlated self-injury in an individual with mental retardation and mood disturbances. Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 32, 103-106.

We evaluated the effects of an enriched environment, based on a paired-choice preference assessment, on both rates of self- injurious behavior (SIB) and percentage of session intervals during which signs of negative affect were displayed by a woman with mental retardation and a mood disorder. Results suggested that SIB and signs of negative affect were highly correlated and that the enriched environment effectively reduced both.

DESCRIPTORS: environmental enrichment, self-injurious behavior, mood disorder, developmental disabilities