Enforcing Chair Timeouts with Room Timeouts

Abstract

Eighteen defiant preschool children were taught to obey maternal chorelike instructions in a clinic analog. Standard Forehand compliance-training procedures (i.e., precise instruction giving, praise, warnings, and chair timeouts) were used. Subjects were assigned to one of two chair-timeout enforcement procedures: spanking (SP) or room timeout (RTO). Children in the SP condition were spanked for refusal to remain on the timeout chair; RTO subjects spent one minute in a barrier-enforced timeout room following escape from the timeout chair. Following SP or RTO enforcement procedures, children were replaced on the timeout chair. Both procedures successfully inhibited escape efforts from the timeout chair. Both procedures were associated with compliance acquisition. Less timeout disruption was associated with the RTO procedure. Behavioral, ethical, practical, and safety issues appear to favor the enforcement of chair timeouts with room timeouts over both traditional room timeouts and chair timeouts enforced by physical punishment.