Comparing the effectiveness of similar and dissimilar competing responses in evaluating the habit reversal treatment for oral-digital habits in children.

In the present study 26 children with chronic oral-digital habits were randomly assigned to 1 of 3 conditions. Group 1 received habit reversal using a similar competing response. Group 2 received habit reversal using a dissimilar competing response, and Group 3 served as a wait-list control group. Three videotaped observations were taken at pretreatment and again at posttreatment. In addition, social acceptability data were collected on the treatment groups at posttreatment. Results showed that the similar and dissimilar groups were engaging in significantly less oral-digital behavior at posttreatment when compared to the control group. However, the two treatment groups did not differ from each other in terms of treatment gains or acceptability. These results suggest that habit reversal is an effective treatment for oral digital habits in children. In addition, it appears that the competing response does not function as a physically incompatible behavior. Implications of the findings are discussed.

RCT Entities:   Population Interventions Outcomes