Effects of time-in on dangerous behavior exhibited by toddlers in the home

Although child safety is a large concern, only one previous study has been conducted examining a treatment package that consisted of positive attention, preference assessments, and timeouts to teach parents how to keep their children safe in the home (Mathews, Friman, Barone, Ross, & Christophersen,1987). The purpose of the current study was to expand the literature in this area and examine each part of the treatment package examined by Mathews et al. by conducting a component analysis. Parents were taught to conduct brief preference assessments and to provide positive attention during time-in (i.c., to provide an enriched environment). Parents were then taught to implement a timeout contingent on unsafe behavior. Results of the study indicate that the enriched environment combined timeout decreased unsafe play behaviors for toddlers. Implications of this simple procedure as well as future research directions are discussed