Functional analysis of hair manipulation: a replication and extension

✍ Scribed by John T. Rapp; Claudia L. Dozier; James E. Carr; Meeta R. Patel; Kimberly A. Enloe

• Publisher: John Wiley and Sons
• Year: 2000
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 129 KB
• Volume: 15
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 1072-0847
• DOI: 10.1002/(sici)1099-078x(200004/06)15:2<121::aid-bin49>3.0.co;2-o

✦ Synopsis

In a multi-phase investigation, we assessed the problematic hair manipulation of a four-year-old male diagnosed with autism. In phase 1, a functional analysis of hair manipulation resulted in high levels of responding during a no-interaction condition, while near-zero levels were observed in other conditions. In phase 2, hair manipulation was reduced to near-zero levels during a condition in which Billy wore gloves on his hands to attenuate digital-tactile stimulation. In phase 3, a stimulus preference assessment indicated that object manipulation competed with hair manipulation, and that wearing gloves did not alter the amount of time that Billy manipulated preferred objects. The results are discussed in the context of interventions that achieve their eects via reinforcer substitutability or competition.