TY - JOUR
T1 - The early development of self-injurious behaviour: Evaluating the role of social reinforcement
AU - Oliver, Christopher
AU - Hall, S
AU - Murphy, G
PY - 2005/8/1
Y1 - 2005/8/1
N2 - BACKGROUND: The potential role of social reinforcement in the development of self-injury has not yet been subjected to empirical analysis. In this 2-year prospective study, the pattern of social interactions related to the early presentation of self-injury were examined to identify a potential association with an increase in self-injury. METHODS: The self-injurious behaviour and social contact with adults of 16 children with intellectual disability (ID) with self-injury of recent onset were observed at 3-month intervals over 2 years. RESULTS: Increase in self-injury over a 2-year period was positively correlated with a distribution of social contact relative to episodes of self-injury that is consistent with a mutual social reinforcement paradigm. When this paradigm was operative, self-injury was evoked under stable antecedent conditions over time but tended to evoke increasing levels of social interaction. CONCLUSIONS: These results support the hypothesis that increases in the frequency of early self-injury in children with ID may be determined by social reinforcement with implications for early intervention and proactive identification of children at risk for increases in self-injury.
AB - BACKGROUND: The potential role of social reinforcement in the development of self-injury has not yet been subjected to empirical analysis. In this 2-year prospective study, the pattern of social interactions related to the early presentation of self-injury were examined to identify a potential association with an increase in self-injury. METHODS: The self-injurious behaviour and social contact with adults of 16 children with intellectual disability (ID) with self-injury of recent onset were observed at 3-month intervals over 2 years. RESULTS: Increase in self-injury over a 2-year period was positively correlated with a distribution of social contact relative to episodes of self-injury that is consistent with a mutual social reinforcement paradigm. When this paradigm was operative, self-injury was evoked under stable antecedent conditions over time but tended to evoke increasing levels of social interaction. CONCLUSIONS: These results support the hypothesis that increases in the frequency of early self-injury in children with ID may be determined by social reinforcement with implications for early intervention and proactive identification of children at risk for increases in self-injury.
KW - social reinforcement
KW - children
KW - self-injurious behaviour
KW - early intervention
KW - intellectual disability
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=22244477410&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1111/j.1365-2788.2005.00694.x
DO - 10.1111/j.1365-2788.2005.00694.x
M3 - Article
C2 - 16011552
SN - 1365-2788
VL - 49
SP - 591
EP - 599
JO - Journal of Intellectual Disability Research
JF - Journal of Intellectual Disability Research
ER -