BEHAVIOR ANALYSIS AND THE STUDY OF HUMAN AGING: A REVIEW OF APPLIED STUDIES

Abstract

Teaching skills and applied behavioral-based procedures have yielded effective care of dependent aging people, and improving and/or maintaining functional skills and avoiding institutionalization. The present paper consists of a literature review of behavior analytic procedures applied to the treatment of behavioral disorders in the aging population. Behavior Analysis journals were searched, focusing the articles that had aging participants as their target population, their caregivers and also institutions that provide services to the aging population. 16 articles were found and analyzed. These articles presented research on memory, wandering behavior, reduction of urinary incontinence and control of disruptive speech. The results highlighted behavioral procedures as effective forms of treatment of the aging population and the need for further studies using more rigorous experimental designs and measures of social validity. As far as caring for the aging population goes, it should be considered that acquisition, maintenance, or recovering skills brings about personal benefits, such as: greater autonomy, increase of self-esteem, better command of their physical and social environment.Keywords: gerontology, behavior analysis, functional skills, aging people independence.