Overcorrection Treatment for Radical Reduction of Aggressive-Disruptive Behavior in Institutionalized Mental Patients

Abstract

This study was designed to extend and evaluate a new treatment, overcorrection, for the radical reduction of aggressive-disruptive behavior. The treatment emphasized four specific attributes. The first was reeducation in prosocial adaptive responses; the second was an extended period of work and effort; the third was time out from general positive reinforcement; the fourth was the prevention of any reinforcement from the disruptive behavior itself. The overcorrection treatment in this study stressed the cognitive modality so that the patient would accept and internalize full responsibility for her behavior. Ss were 7 chronic female patients in a behavior-modification token-economy program in a state mental hospital. The treatment consisted of having S restore her disturbance to an extent that greatly improved the previous situation. Overcorrection required S to apologize and reassure all persons present that the disturbance would not be repeated. S was instructed verbally or guided manually in alleviating the general psychological distress or physical disorder caused by her aggressive-disruptive behavior. The data showed that the average reduction for experimental Ss at the end of 8 wk. was 91%. The average reduction for all controls at the end of 8 wk. was 55%. However, the monotonic decreasing trend of the mean number of incidents over weeks for the experimental group was significantly greater (α = 0.02) than that of the control group. Additional data indicated that the inhibition of the maladaptive behavior lasted with little assistance from the staff. Thus, overcorrection may be considered a generally effective therapeutic procedure. The unexpected significant reduction in the control group was ascribed to the influence of modeling.

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