| Abstract: | Contingent shock has been used in a number of studies to suppress health‐threatening self‐injurious behavior of individuals with mental retardation and autism. As sustained suppression is an issue of clinical concern, research into procedural variables of contingent shock is needed. As research on subjects who have mental retardation and who show self‐injurious behavior is ethically impossible, we conducted research on healthy volunteers. In this study, we compared the effect of wave frequency (i.e. Hz) of electric shock on subjects' pain sensation and startle response. It was found that 60 Hz revealed a significantly stronger pain sensation rating than 30 Hz and that 90 Hz revealed a significantly stronger rating than 60 Hz. Also, the magnitude of subjects' startle response significantly increased as wave frequency increased from 30 Hz to 60 Hz and from 60 to 90 Hz. Copyright © 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. |
