On the relative contributions of positive reinforcement and escape extinction in the treatment of food refusal.
We compared the effects of positive reinforcement alone, escape extinction alone, and positive reinforcement with escape extinction in the treatment of the food and fluid refusal of 4 children who had been diagnosed with a pediatric feeding disorder. Consumption did not increase when positive reinforcement was implemented alone. By contrast, consumption increased for all participants when escape extinction was implemented, independent of the presence or absence of positive reinforcement. However, the addition of positive reinforcement to escape extinction was associated with beneficial effects (e.g., greater decreases in negative vocalizations and inappropriate behavior) for some participants.
Marcus Institute, 1920 Briarcliff Road, Atlanta, Georgia 30329, USA.
Cathleen C
CC
Piazza
Meeta R
MR
Patel
Charles S
CS
Gulotta
Bari M
BM
Sevin
Stacy A
SA
Layer
D000553:Ambulatory Care; D002653:Child Behavior Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000523:psychology / Q000628:therapy*; D002675:Child, Preschool; D015897:Comorbidity; D002658:Developmental Disabilities / Q000523:psychology; D004924:Escape Reaction; D005108:Extinction, Psychological; D005183:Failure to Thrive / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000523:psychology / Q000628:therapy*; D019959:Feeding and Eating Disorders of Childhood / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000523:psychology / Q000628:therapy*; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D010343:Patient Admission; D012054:Reinforcement, Psychology; D016896:Treatment Outcome