This study investigated whether removing physical restraints from previously restrained nursing
home residents would change their social response. A quasi-experimental design was used to
obtain data from 93 previously restrained subjects who became restraint-free (experimental
group) andfrom 93 randomly selected never-restrained subjects (nonequivalent control group)
in seven nursing homes. A repeated measures analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) controlling for
group differences in cognitive status and physical activities of daily living (PADL) was used to
examine changes in social response at pretest, posttest, and follow-up. Findings suggested that
restraint removal had no effect on changing social response over time. Even after attempting to
control for differences between groups, social response was significantly related to subjects'
cognitive abilities and PADL status. The control group was better functioning in both areas, and
this affected their ability to respond socially at a much higher level throughout the study than
the experimental group.
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