Nine mentally handicapped adults were studied in order to assess the differential susceptibility of mentally handicapped individuals to sensory and social reinforcers. (Author/BD)

Differential reinforcement of appropriate behavior was used in combination with a naturalistic restitution procedure utilizing victim participation to reduce the assaultive and interpersonal sexual behavior and genital self stimulation of an adolescent Down's syndrome male in a school setting. (Author/DLS)

Examined are two alternatives to the use of electric shock to control destructive or repugnant behaviors in severely retarded or schizophrenic children: continued use of noncorporal punishment, and widescale application of appropriately arranged contingencies of positive reinforcement. (KW)

Criticisms of behavior modification, which charge that it violates ethical and legal principles, are discussed and reasons are presented to explain behavior modification's susceptibility to attack. (GW)

One mildly and two borderline mentally retarded children (10 to 12 years old) were treated for spelling deficits using either overcorrection or overcorrection plus reinforcement. Overcorrection with reinforcement proved to be more effective than overcorrection alone for two of the three children. (Author)

Task specific attending behavior of a mentally retarded adult engaged in a chain-cutting task was substantially increased by using a differential reinforcement procedure with a feedback stimulus for appropriate visual orientation. (Author/DLS)

The paper presents guidelines for training staff to implement positive reductive procedures to decrease undesirable behaviors of their retarded students and clients. Considerations relevant to all reductive procedures are briefly discussed in the first portion of the paper, while guidelines indigenous to positive reductive procedures are discussed…

Self-injurious behaviors of two nonambulatory profoundly retarded young adults were monitored. Despite considerable variability within conditions, mere provision of attached toys resulted in decreased biting and face slapping. (Author)

Reinforcement was administered contingent upon appropriate actions in order to reduce hyperactive behavior of a trainable mentally handicapped boy. A followup indicated substantial improvement in behavior. (CD)

The study examined the efficacy of reinforcement and response cost in the elimination of an institutionalized severely mentally retarded individual's food stealing and scavenging behavior during mealtimes. Through the use of discriminative stimuli and positive reinforcement, food stealing was virtually eliminated. (Author/CL)

The effects of social and monetary reinforcements on mentally handicapped in a sheltered workshop setting were examined. Performance rates were found to be facilitated by visual display and verbal reinforcement more than by token reinforcement techniques. (CD)