Christina F. Roantree & Craig H. Kennedy. (2006)
A paradoxical effect of presession attention on stereotypy: Antecedent
attention as an establishing, not an abolishing, operation.
Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis,
39, 381-384.
Previous studies have shown that presession attention for problem behavior
can serve as an abolishing operation when attention functions as a positive
reinforcer. In the current study, we show that the stereotypy of a child with
severe disabilities was undifferentiated during standard analogue functional
analysis conditions. However, when noncontingent presession attention was provided,
stereotypy occurred for social attention as a positive reinforcer, suggesting that
the antecedent manipulation functioned as an establishing operation.
DESCRIPTORS: stereotypy, functional analysis, positive reinforcement, establishing
operation, motivating operation, presession attention