Abstract
Spectral analysis was used to investigate the modification of the excessive crying (48% of waking time observed during baseline) of a terminal cancer patient. Initial assessment revealed a cyclic pattern of crying and dozing throughout the day and night. Intervention involved timeout from social stimulation contingent upon crying and differential social reinforcement for behaviors incompatible with crying. Analysis showed the gradual elimination of crying during the 15-day intervention. During the initial phase of intervention crying ceased to be emitted in the presence of hospital staff but was evoked by the presence of family members. As this pattern of crying diminished, the frequency and duration of family visits, as well as the frequency of positive patient utterances and conversation, increased. Clinical, ethical, and methodological issues surrounding the use of timeout are discussed.
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This research was completed while the author was on sabbatical leave from the University of Illinois and was supported in part by Grant CA 12582 from the National Institutes of Health and a gift from the Holmes Institute, Los Angeles, California. The author wishes to express his appreciation to Janet Kruse for her assistance in data analysis and to the following individuals for their help in conducting the research and in reporting the results: James Goodnight, Karen Nowlan, Bev Drury, Stephen Porges, Martha Putallaz, Graciela Vazquez-Andresen, and Sharon Medlock.
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Redd, W.H. Treatment of excessive crying in a terminal cancer patient: A time-series analysis. J Behav Med 5, 225–235 (1982). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00844811
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00844811