Punishment learning and self mutilation in Lesch Nyhan disease
automutilation; aversion; child; etiology; learning; Lesch Nyhan syndrome; punishment; reinforcement therapy; behavioral problems; psychological intervention; aversive stimulation electric shock; positive reinforcement; time-out; self-injury; self-mutilation
The self injurious behavior of five male children with Lesch Nyhan disease was studied during three learning paradigms: punishment, positive reinforcement and time out from reinforcement following an attempt at self injury. Punishment of self injury by contingent electric finger shock failed to suppress this behavior but positive reinforcement of non self injury and time out procedures were effective. The results stress the importance of environmental factors in the development and control of self injurious behavior, and suggest the presence of an unusual harmful defect which may be related to the specific enzyme deficiency in Lesch Nyhan disease.
Anderson L; Dancis J; Alpert M; Herrmann L
Nature
1977
Article information provided for research and reference use only. PedPalASCNET does not hold any rights over the resource listed here. All rights are retained by the journal listed under publisher and/or the creator(s).
<a href="http://doi.org/10.1038/265461a0" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">10.1038/265461a0</a>
Behavioral contingencies and self-mutilation in Lesch-Nyhan disease
Adolescent; Behavior Therapy/mt [Methods]; Child; Preschool; Humans; Lesch-Nyhan Syndrome/px [Psychology]; Lesch-Nyhan Syndrome/th [Therapy]; Male Punishment; Self Mutilation/th [Therapy]; behavioral problems; Lesch-Nyhan syndrome; psychological intervention; aversive stimulation electric shock; positive reinforcement; time-out; self-injury; self-mutilation
Lesch-Nyhan syndrome is a rare, sex-linked, recessive disease that is accompanied by severe self-mutilation, especially finger biting. Evidence is presented suggesting that parental response patterns may contribute to the genesis of the self-injurious behavior (SIB). The therapeutic effectiveness of punishment, positive reinforcement of either SIB or non-SIB, and time-out learning paradigms were evaluated in 5 Ss aged 3-13 yrs. Electric skin shock failed to suppress the behavior. Positive reinforcement of non-self-injury and time-out from social reinforcement were consistently and rapidly effective, indicating a complex interaction of genetic and environmental factors in the production of SIB. Elimination or major reductions in incidence of SIB was maintained during follow-up periods of 2 yrs. (19 ref)
Anderson L; Dancis J; Alpert M
Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology
1978
Article information provided for research and reference use only. PedPalASCNET does not hold any rights over the resource listed here. All rights are retained by the journal listed under publisher and/or the creator(s).
<a href="http://doi.org/10.1037/0022-006X.46.3.529" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">10.1037/0022-006X.46.3.529</a>