title: Self-restraint as positive reinforcement for self-injurious behavior.
abstract: Many individuals who engage in self-injurious behavior (SIB) also exhibit self-restraint. We compared rates of SIB exhibited by a 32-year-old woman diagnosed with profound retardation across conditions in which access to restraint was (a) continuously available, (b) presented as a consequence for SIB, or (c) unavailable. Rates of SIB increased when access to restraint was contingent upon SIB and decreased when restraint was unavailable, suggesting that self-restraint functioned as positive reinforcement for SIB.
authors.affiliation: University of North Texas, USA.
authors.forename: R G
authors.initials: RG
authors.lastname: Smith
authors.forename: D C
authors.initials: DC
authors.lastname: Lerman
authors.forename: B A
authors.initials: BA
authors.lastname: Iwata
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008607:Intellectual Disability / Q000523:psychology; D007389:Internal-External Control; D009042:Motivation; D012054:Reinforcement, Psychology; D012149:Restraint, Physical / Q000523:psychology*; D012648:Self Care / Q000523:psychology; D016728:Self-Injurious Behavior / Q000523:psychology*