Physical restraint as positive reinforcement

Area of Science:

• Behavioral Psychology
• Applied Behavior Analysis

Background:

• Physical restraint is sometimes used with individuals with intellectual disabilities.
• Some individuals appear to find restraint enjoyable, suggesting a potential reinforcing function.

Observation:

• The study examined three individuals with intellectual disabilities with a history of enjoying restraint.
• A preference paradigm and reversal design were employed to assess the effects of restraint.

Findings:

• An arbitrary response systematically increased when followed by brief periods of physical restraint for all participants.
• No comparable increases in response rates were observed when restraint was not used as a consequence or when controlling conditions were applied.

Implications:

• Physical restraint may play a role in maintaining problem behaviors, such as self-injury, in natural settings.
• Understanding and potentially eliminating the reinforcing function of restraint is crucial for behavior management.
• Restraint reinforcement could be a viable strategy in treating behavior problems if it is the sole identified reinforcer.