Decreasing disruptive behavior by adolescent boys in residential care by increasing their positive to negative interactional ratios.

An intervention for disruptive boys in residential care involving increases in positive to negative interactional ratios is described. The target of the intervention was daily problem behavior. Results from a pooled time series analysis of the data revealed a significant decrease in behavior problems (one problem per boy per day) during the intervention for the boys as a group. Results from comparisons of mean behavior problems during baseline and intervention revealed decreases for five of the six boys. Results from a multiple baseline across boys revealed experimental control for three of the six. The results are discussed in terms of response contingent reinforcement and systemic behavior analyses. The benefits of combined group and single subject data analyses are also discussed.