Suppressing aggressive-destructive behavior by delayed overcorrection.

Delayed overcorrection reduced the aggressive-destructive behavior of a developmentally delayed adolescent when it was added to previously ineffective procedures of differential reinforcement (tokens and token-removal) of other behavior. The delayed contingency was necessary because target behaviors occurred exclusively in the absence of the only family member who could overpower the subject. A multiple baseline design across two levels of problem-behavior severity indicated that delayed overcorrection effectively suppressed the aggressive-destructive episodes. The results support the notion that delayed contingencies can effectively suppress target behaviors.