Kahng S, Iwata B A, DeLeon I G, Worsdell A S
University of Florida, Gainesville 32611, USA.
J Appl Behav Anal. 1997 Summer;30(2):267-76; quiz 277. doi: 10.1901/jaba.1997.30-267.
The effectiveness of functional communication training (FCT) as a treatment for behavior disorders has been attributed to a number of variables, one of which is the individual's ability to exert control over the delivery of reinforcement. We evaluated this component of FCT by exposing individuals to conditions in which their behavior either did or did not affect the delivery of reinforcement. Three adults with mental retardation who engaged in self-injurious behavior (SIB) participated. Following a functional analysis of their SIB, the effects of FCT were compared to those of noncontingent reinforcement (NCR) in a multielement design. The amount of reinforcement during both conditions was equated by yoking the schedule of reinforcement during NCR sessions to that in effect during FCT sessions. Results indicated that FCT and NCR were equally effective in reducing the SIB of all participants and suggest that control over reinforcement delivery may not affect the degree to which FCT produces behavioral suppression. However, a different benefit of FCT was evident in the results: More consistent increases in the alternative response were observed during the FCT condition than during the NCR condition.
功能沟通训练（FCT）作为一种治疗行为障碍的方法，其有效性归因于多个变量，其中之一是个体对强化物发放的控制能力。我们通过让个体处于其行为会或不会影响强化物发放的条件下，来评估FCT的这一组成部分。三名患有智力障碍且有自伤行为（SIB）的成年人参与了研究。在对他们的自伤行为进行功能分析之后，采用多因素设计将FCT的效果与非连续性强化（NCR）的效果进行了比较。通过将NCR阶段的强化计划与FCT阶段实际实施的强化计划挂钩，使两种条件下的强化量相等。结果表明，FCT和NCR在减少所有参与者的自伤行为方面同样有效，这表明对强化物发放的控制可能不会影响FCT产生行为抑制的程度。然而，结果中FCT的另一个益处很明显：与NCR条件相比，在FCT条件下观察到替代反应的增加更为一致。
