Functional analysis and treatment of eye poking.

Full Abstract

In four studies we analyzed the eye poking of a youth with profound disabilities. In Study 1, a functional analysis showed that eye poking occurred during the no-attention condition, but not during demand, attention or recreation conditions. The analysis did not identify socially mediated variables involved in the maintenance of eye poking; rather, eye poking may have been maintained by consequences produced directly by the response. In Study 2 we had the student wear goggles to prevent potential reinforcement from finger-eye contact. The results of Study 2 indicated that eye-poking attempts were reduced when the student wore goggles. We then tested in Study 3 the effects of two alternative topographies of stimulation. Study 3 demonstrated that eye poking was reduced when a video game was provided as a competing source of visual stimulation, and that music was less effective in reducing eye poking. In Study 4, a contingency analysis using the video game was conducted in an attempt to (a) reduce the frequency of eye poking and (b) study whether the video game functioned as a reinforcer. The results of Study 4 demonstrated substantive reductions in the frequency of eye poking, and suggested that the video game served as a reinforcer.

Author information

Author/s: Kennedy, C H (CH); Souza, G (G);

Affiliation: College of Education, University of Hawaii, Honolulu 96822.

Journal and publication information

Publication Type: Case Reports; Journal Article

Journal: Journal of applied behavior analysis (J Appl Behav Anal), published in UNITED STATES. (Language: eng)

Reference: 1995-; vol 28 (issue 1) : pp 27-37

Dates: Created 1995/05/09; Completed 1995/05/09; Revised 2008/11/20;

PMID: 7706147, status: MEDLINE (last retrieval date: 2/18/2009, IMS Date: )

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