Creating tic suppression: Comparing the effects of verbal instruction to differential reinforcement.

Douglas W. Woods & Michael B. Himle (2004). Creating tic suppression: Comparing the effects of verbal instruction to differential reinforcement. Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 37, 417-420.

The purpose of this study was to compare two methods designed to produce tic reduction in 4 children with Tourette’s syndrome. Specifically, a verbal instruction not to engage in tics was compared to a verbal instruction plus differential reinforcement of zero-rate behavior (DRO). Results showed that the DRO-enhanced procedure yielded greater reductions in tic frequency.

DESCRIPTORS: differential reinforcement, tics, verbal instruction