Effect of Operant Conditioning Techniques on Chronic Schizophrenics

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Abstract
The existence of a system of quarterly ratings by nurses of psychiatric patients' behavior made possible a relatively objective evaluation of the effects of the introduction of an operant conditioning program on one ward. The 66 patients in the study were rated 6 mo. prior to, immediately prior to, and 3, 6, and 9 mo. subsequent to the introduction of the new treatment regimen. Whereas the behavior on 24 rated items was stable during the period preceding the new treatment, statistically significant changes occurred on 14 behavior items during the treatment period. Worsening of a group of symptoms during the early months of treatment followed by subsequent improvement seems explainable as an aggravation of chronic schizophrenics by a change of their life style. The important finding was that after 9 mo. of operant conditioning techniques, even hard-core psychotic symptoms yielded to this form of behavior modification.

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