Reducing Risky Behavior with Habit Reversal: A Review of Behavioral Strategies to Reduce Habitual Hand‐to‐head Behavior

Authors

Megan R. Heinicke, California State University
Jordan T. Stiede, Marquette University
Raymond G. Miltenberger, University of South FloridaFollow
Douglas W. Woods, Marquette University

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

Summer 2020

Keywords

COVID‐19, coronavirus, habit reversal, face‐touching

DOI

https://doi.org/10.1002/jaba.745

Abstract

Habit reversal training (HRT) has been a mainstay of behavior analysts' repertoire for nearly the last 50 years. HRT has been effective in treating a host of repetitive behavior problems. In the face of the current coronavirus pandemic, HRT has practical public health importance as a possible intervention for reducing hand‐to‐head behaviors that increase the risk of viral infection. The current paper provides a brief review of HRT for hand‐to‐head habits that is designed for a broad audience and concludes with practical suggestions, based on HRT, for reducing face‐touching behaviors.

Comments

Article available for free at PubMed Central: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7404378/

Citation / Publisher Attribution

Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, v. 53, issue 3, p. 1225-1236

Scholar Commons Citation

Heinicke, Megan R.; Stiede, Jordan T.; Miltenberger, Raymond G.; and Woods, Douglas W., "Reducing Risky Behavior with Habit Reversal: A Review of Behavioral Strategies to Reduce Habitual Hand‐to‐head Behavior" (2020). All publications. 64.
https://digitalcommons.usf.edu/usf_fcrc_all/64