A group outcome study evaluated the effectiveness of four treatment procedures in reducing self-injurious behavior among 22 severely handicapped students. Contingent restraint was most effective in reducing behavior below baseline levels. Positive reinforcement and reinforcement withdrawal procedures were less successful, although the latter technique was effective with a subsample of students whose behavior appeared to be maintained by negative reinforcement. The need to use a punishment procedure with high frequency behaviors and the advantages of contingent restraints are discussed.
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