The efficacy of noncontingent escape for decreasing children's disruptive behavior during restorative dental treatment |
| |
Authors: | O'Callaghan Patrick M Allen Keith D Powell Shawn Salama Fouad |
| |
Institution: | Munroe-Meyer Institute for Genetics and Rehabilitation, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha 68198, USA. |
| |
Abstract: | We evaluated the effectiveness of a dentist-implemented behavioral intervention in which brief escape from dental treatment was provided on a regular basis, independent of the child's behavior. Within a multiple baseline design across subjects, 5 children, ages 4 to 7 years, were provided with temporary escape from dental treatment on a fixed-time schedule. The intervals were signaled by an electronic timer worn by the dentist. Clinically significant reductions were observed in physically disruptive behavior across all 5 children with the introduction of noncontingent escape, and verbally disruptive behavior was markedly reduced in 4 of the 5 children. In addition, the dental staff s use of physical restraint was reduced to near zero across all 5 children. The research extends the literature in both clinical dentistry and in applied behavior analysis by demonstrating that a dentist can easily and effectively implement noncontingent reinforcement to produce clinically significant and socially important changes in children's health behavior. |
| |
Keywords: | noncontingent reinforcement escape dental visits disruptive behavior |
本文献已被 PubMed 等数据库收录! |
|