Chapter 15: Lecture Notes

Differential Reinforcement

What are all of the differential reinforcement processes?

The differential reinforcement processes are:

Differential Reinforcement of Alternative Behavior (DRA)

• Differential Reinforcement of Alternative Behavior (DNRA)

• Differential Reinforcement of Incompatible Behavior (DRI)

• Differential Reinforcement of Communocation (Functional Communication Training or FCT)

Differential Reinforcement of Other Behavior (DRO)

Differentital Reinforcement of Low Rates of Responding (DRL)

What are the strategies for identifying reinforcers?

The strategies for identifying reinforcers are:

• Observe individual and identify reinforcer for problem behavior

• Observe individual and identify high-rate behaviors

• Ask individual or knowledgeable other

• Use reinforcer questionaries

• Use preference assessments (systematic way of finding the degree to which a stimulus is reinforcing)

• Present potential reinforcers following a target behavior and observe the response

Preference Assessment

Systematic way of finding the degree to which a stimulus is reinforcing

• Want to ensure that reinforcers are reinforcing for reinforcement to work

• Determine hierachy of reinforcers with observation or an evaluation based assessment

• Include items that are highly preferred, or risk a relative rank ordering that isn’t reinforcing

• Needs to re-evaluate preferences over time, since they might change

Preference Assessment Decision Tree

A step-by-step tool used in to help practitioners select the right method for identifying what items, activities, or edibles a learner prefers as a reinforcer

Free Operant Observation

A method used to identify potential reinforcers by watching how an individual interacts with them during unrestricted access

• Taking data on what items they approached and the time spent engaging with that item

Single Stimulus Assessment

A method used to identify potential reinforcers by presenting one item at a time to see whether a person likes it

• Present one object or item at a time a see how long they interact with it

Paired Stimulus Assessment

A method used to identify potential reinforcers by presenting two items at a time and seeing which one a person chooses

• Present two items together and record what item is selected (rotated in terms of the number of times presented and the position of the item)

Multiple Stimulus Without Replacement

A method used to identify potential reinforcers by presenting several items at once, letting the person choose one, and removing that item before the next choice

• Remove the highly reinforcing item from selection to get a relative ranking of the objects

Multiple Stimulus With Replacement

A method used to identify potential reinforcers by presenting several items at once, letting the person choose one, and keeping that stimulus in rotation

Differential Reinforcement of Alternative Behavior (DRA)

Technique used to decrease a problem behavior, by removing reinforcement for a problem behavior and systematically reinforce an appropriate alternative behavior

• Replace problem behavior with an alternative behavior

What is the process for DRA?

The steps for DRA are as follows:

1. Operationalize desirable and undesirable behaviors

2. Identify the reinforcer

3. Reinforce the desirable behavior immediately and consistently

4. Eliminate reinforcement for undesirable behavior (extinguish if possible)

5. Initially continuously reinforce desired behavior, then use intermittent reinforcement to maintain the behavior (makes it more resistant to extinction)

6. Support generalization

When is Differential Reinforcement of Alternative Behavior (DRA) appropriate?

DRA is appropriate when:

• Want to increase the rate of a desirable behavior

• Desirable behavior is known and occuring at least occassionally (needs to replace the problem behavior)

• Access to reinforcer that can be delivered directly after the desired behavior

What happens if the desired alternative behavior for DRA isn’t in the learner’s knowledge?

If the desired alternative behavior for DRA isn’t known, then a different procedure has to be used to get the desired behavior, for example shaping

• Once established DRA can maintain and generalize the desired behavior

What are the three variations of DRA?

The three variations of DRA are:

• Differential Negative Reinforcement of Alternative Behavior (DNRA)

• Differential Reinforcement of Incompatible Behavior (DRI)

• Functional Communicational Training (FCT)

Differential Negative Reinforcement of Alternative Behavior (DNRA)

Behaviorial technique that decreases problem behaviors maintained by negative reinforcement by increasing appropriate replacement behavior

• Decrease problem behavior and increase alternative behavior

Differential Reinforcement of Incompatible Behavior (DRI)

Behavioral technique that decreases problem behaviors by increasing appropriate replacement behavior that is physically incompatible with the problem behavior

• Replacement behavior can’t occur at the same time as the problem behavior (Ex. Hitting and putting hands in pocket)

Functional Communication Training (FCT)

Behavioral technique that reinforces communication that is functionally equivalent to the problem behavior

• Differential Reinforcement of Communication

• Ex. Teaching a woman to touch the card to get access to the ipad instead of hitting

Differential Reinforcement of Other Behavior (DRO)

Behavioral technique that reduces a problem behavior by reinforcing its absence for a specific period of time

• Withholds reinforcement for the problem behavior and delivers reinforcement when the problem behavior hasn’t occured during a specific interval

• Time dependent

What are the types of Differential Reinforcement of Other Behavior (DRO)?

The types of DRO are:

• Whole Interval DRO: Reinforcing absence of a problem behavior if it hasn’t occured throughout the whole interval

• Momentary DRO: Reinforcing absence of a problem behavior if it doesn’t happen at a specific time/ end of the interval

Whole Interval DRO is more effective than momentary DRO (more rigorous)

What are the steps of Differential Reinforcement of Other Behavior (DRO)?

The steps for DRO are:

1. Operationalize the problem behavior

2. Identify the reinforcer for the problem behavior

3. Choose the intitial DRO time interval (based on the baseline rate)

• How frequently the behavior occurs, choose time that is shorter, so that the reinforcer is given before the behavior occurs

4. Eliminate reinforcement for problem behavior (when possible) and reinforce the absence of the problem behavior

5. Reset interval if problem behavior occurs (requires an unbroken period of complete absence of that behavior)

6. Gradually increase interval length

What are the potential challenges of differential reinforcement of other behavior (DRO)?

The potential challenges of DRO is that it:

• Doesn’t involve systematically teaching replacement skills

• May result in new or other challenging behaviors

This is because DRO doesn’t replace the problem behavior with an alternative behavior

Differential Reinforcement of Low Rates of Responding (DRL)

Behavioral technique that reduces a problem behavior by reinforcing it when it occurs less often during a specific period

When is DRL viable as a behavioral technique?

DRL is viable only if:

• A low rate of the problem behavior can be tolerated

• Behavior is only problematic because of its high frequency (ex. reducing the frequency of hand-raising to answer questions in class)

Full Session DRL

Type of DRL, where a reinforcer is delivered if fewer than X responses occur in an interval

• Reinforces a problem behavior when it occurs less in an interval

Spaced- responding DRL

Type of DRL, where a reinforcer is delivered if a response occurs after a certain amount of time since the last response

What are the differential reinforcement techniques that emphasize replacement behavior?

The differential reinforcement techniques that have replacement behavior are:

• Differential Reinforcement of Alternate Behavior (DNRA, DRI, FCT)

What are the differential reinforcement techniques that emphasize absence or lower rate of problem behavior?

The differential reinforcement techniques that have emphasize absence or a lower rate of problem behavior are:

• Differential Reinforcement of Other Behavior (DRO)

• Differential Reinforcement of Low Rates (DRL)

What kind of differential reinforcement is this example?

• You give Suzy a 20 minute break from homework every 20 minutes for the absence of problem behaviors?

It’s DRO (reinforcing the absence of a behavior)

• From homework

What kind of differential reinforcement is this example?

• When Suzy stands up to escape her homework, you physically prompt her to sit and hand her an I want a break card. When Suzy gives the card to you, you provide praise and allow her to take a short break

It’s FCT

• Reinforcing a person to communicate their needs instead of using problem behavior.

What kind of differential reinforcement is this example?

• Mom gives her assess to her favorite toy each half hour for the absence of fighting with her siblings

It’s DRO

• Reinforcing the absence of a behavior (ex. fighting)

What kind of differential reinforcement is this example?

• Suzy calls out answers and her teacher withholds attention and gives her attention when she raises her hand

It’s a DRA

• Reinforcing an appropriate alternative behavior while placing the problem behavior on extinction (no longer reinforcing it)

• She can call out the answer and raise her hand, so not DRI

What kind of differential reinforcement is this example?

• Suzy asks questions at a frequency that is difficult to manage. You reinforce her asking her teacher no more than 2 questions every 15 minutes

It’s Full Session DRL

• Reinforcer is given if fewer than X responses occur in a period of time