Psychiatric Technician Practice Exam

What might be the expected behavior of a client with developmental disabilities who is being ignored for negative actions?

1. They stop engaging in those behaviors

2. They escalate their behaviors

3. They prefer playing alone

4. They engage in more constructive activities

The correct answer is: They escalate their behaviors

When a client with developmental disabilities is ignored for their negative behaviors, it is often expected that they may escalate those behaviors. This response can be understood through the principles of reinforcement and behavior management. Ignoring negative behaviors can inadvertently serve to reinforce those actions, especially if the individual has previously received attention (positive or negative) for those behaviors. The lack of immediate response might lead them to increase the intensity or frequency of the negative behavior in an attempt to elicit a reaction. The idea is that if a behavior once brought some form of attention, the individual may believe that increasing the behavior could achieve the same outcome. Understanding this concept is crucial in managing behavior effectively, as strategies must be tailored to encourage positive actions rather than inadvertently reinforcing negative ones. The other options do not typically align with the behavioral responses observed in such situations. For instance, stopping these behaviors or engaging in constructive activities is more likely when the individual is positively reinforced for desired behaviors rather than ignored for negative ones. Similarly, preferring to play alone does not necessarily correlate with being ignored for negative actions, as social dynamics are quite different in developmental contexts.