Abstract
A reinforced practice procedure was used to facilitate cooperative behavior in five children, aged 3 to 6 years, during dental treatment. In a multiple baseline design across subjects, the children were rewarded with escape, inexpensive stickers, and praise for cooperative behavior in the presence of the sights, sounds, and some sensations of the dental instruments prior to actual dental treatment. Direct observations of disruptive behavior via a 15‐s interval recording system indicated baseline levels as high as 90% were reduced to less than 15% by the final treatment visit. In addition, the procedure was effective in reducing overall heart rate and blood pressure reactivity to dental treatment. All children were rated by the involved dental professionals as more cooperative and relaxed following exposure to reinforced practice. 1987 Society for the Experimental Analysis of Behavior
| Original language | English (US) |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 381-390 |
| Number of pages | 10 |
| Journal | Journal of applied behavior analysis |
| Volume | 20 |
| Issue number | 4 |
| DOIs | |
| State | Published - 1987 |
| Externally published | Yes |
Keywords
- children
- cooperation
- dental visits
- negative reinforcement
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Philosophy
- Applied Psychology
- Sociology and Political Science