Dr. Cataldo's research has focused on the influence of basic operant training on problems of child health and development. He has shown that behavioral problems in persons with developmental disabilities are functionally related to the environmental consequences of the behaviors. By changing the unit of analysis from discrete behaviors to groups, Dr. Cataldo and his colleagues have established that: (1) the same functional relationships that exist between consequences and discrete behaviors also exist between consequences and groups, or classes, of behaviors; (2) one class of behaviors can be related directly or inversely to another class, so that altering one or a few behaviors of one class alters all behaviors of the other class; (3) cooperation with instructions is a key class of behaviors. Clinical application of this information has shown that by increasing certain socially adaptive responses (e.g., cooperation with instructions) intrusive and time consuming treatment for aggressive behavior and self-injury can be avoided.
