Music Distortion: A New Technique for Behavior Modification

Behavioral suppression of seriously disruptive behavior in psychotic and retarded patients: A review of punishment and its alternatives.

“…Contingent removal of reinforcement is regarded as a preferred punishment procedure by many clinicians because a physically painful stimulus is not required (Johnston, 1972) and the techniques are readily taught to paraprofessionals (Davison, 1964(Davison, , 1965Laws, Brown, Epstein, & Hocking, 1971) and parents (Barrett, 1969;Nordquist & Wahler, 1973;Wahler, 1969). As a result of its ease of administration and low aversiveness, contingent removal of reinforcement alone or in combination with DRO has been applied to a wide range of problem behaviors including self-stimulation (Greene, Hoats, & Hornick, 1970;Fendergrass, 1972), SIB (Adams, Klinge, & Keiser, 1973;Anderson, Herrman, Alpert, & Dancis, 1975;Brawley et al, 1969, Hamilton, Stephens, & Allen, 1967Harmatz & Rasmussen, 1969;Husted, Hall, & Agin, 1971; J. J. Myers & Deibert, 1971;Wolf, Risley," Johnston, Harris, & Allen, 1967), and aggressive behaviors (Bostow & Bailey, 1969;Drabman & Spitalnik, 1973;Hawkins, Peterson, Schweid, & Bijou, 1966;Husted et al, 1971;Sachs, 1973;Vukelich & Hake, 1971).…”

“…Both used intermittent schedules to facilitate maintenance of already established reductions in a target behavior. Greene et al (1970) reported that reduced rocking behavior by retarded people was maintained on an intermittent schedule of punishment. Similarly, Clark et al (1973), using four different variable-ratio schedules of isolation for a retarded child's aggressive behavior, found that any schedule with a greater than .23 probability of punishment was effective for maintenance once initial suppression was achieved.…”

“…Procedures that eliminate a specific source of reinforcement without removing the person from an activity have also been explored, however. These have included music distortion (Greene et al, 1970), television distortion (Greene & Hoats, 1969), removal of music (Hauck & Martin, 1970;Ritschl et al, 1972), withholding food (Barton et al, 1970; G. L. Martin et al, 1971;, turning away from the child (Brawley et al, 1969;G. Martin, 1975;McReynolds, 1969;Sachs, 1973), covering the child's face with a bib (Zegiob et al, 1976), and placing a woman who could not walk on the floor (Bostow & Bailey, 1969).…”

The Use of Contingent‐interrupted Music in the Treatment of Disruptive Bus‐riding Behavior

“…A review of the literature indicates that the use of music, as a means of increasing a desirable response, has been effective in areas such as self-help skills (Harrison, Lecrone, Temerlin, & Trousdale, 1966), activity level (Rieber, 1965), academic behaviors (Madsen & Forsythe, 1973), imitative behaviors (Metzler, 1974), and behavior problems (Greene, Hoats, & Hornick, 1970).…”