title: Behavioral persistence and variability during extinction of self-injury maintained by escape.
abstract: The self-injurious escape behavior of a developmentally disabled adult was treated with extinction. Results of a reversal design showed substantial bursts of responding when extinction was introduced and reintroduced: self-injury remained at a variable and elevated rate for some time before stable, low rates were observed. Data on aggression, a nontarget behavior during both baseline and treatment, showed a pattern similar to that seen for self-injury during the extinction conditions.
authors.affiliation: Psychology Department, University of Florida, Gainesville 32611.
authors.forename: H L
authors.initials: HL
authors.lastname: Goh
authors.forename: B A
authors.initials: BA
authors.lastname: Iwata
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000374:Aggression / Q000523:psychology; D001521:Behavior Therapy / Q000379:methods*; D004495:Education of Persons with Intellectual Disabilities; D004924:Escape Reaction; D005108:Extinction, Psychological; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D012054:Reinforcement, Psychology; D016728:Self-Injurious Behavior / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000523:psychology*