Elsevier

Behavior Therapy

Volume 23, Issue 1, Winter 1992, Pages 131-140
Behavior Therapy

Limitations of “don't” instructional control*

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This study examined the relative efficacy of a prohibitive (“don't”) instructional procedure compared with immediate timeout (TO) in reducing physical aggression between siblings. The “don't” instructional procedure included “don't” instructions, praise for compliance (i.e., inhibiting on-going aggression), warnings for noncompliance (i.e., continued fighting), and chair TOs for noncompliance to warnings. An alternating treatment design was employed with three oppositional, aggressive, preschool children and their mothers in the home setting. Sibling aggression data were collected by the mother. The reliability of maternal observations, however, was not independently confirmed. Results suggested that the immediate TO procedure was more effective than the “don't” instructional procedure. Sibling aggression appears to be a misbehavior that is not readily treated with an obedience-provoking routine. Theoretical reasons behind the limitations of “don't” instructional control are discussed.

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    *

    These data were originally presented at a poster session of the annual convention of the Association for Behavior Analysis, Nashville, TN, May, 1990.

    **

    The authors wish to thank Robert Downing and Ann Martin for performing reliability observations during the process of screening subjects.

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