Discrimination Training
Introduction to Discrimination Training
Discrimination training is a method used in behavior analysis.
Objectives of this module include:
Understanding what a discrimination is.
Learning how we make discriminations.
Defining discrimination training.
Outlining the steps to discrimination training and evaluating its effectiveness.
Definition of Discrimination
Discrimination occurs when:
A behavior is executed under certain circumstances.
The same behavior is not executed under different circumstances.
Examples:
Recognizing an apple and saying "that's an apple" instead of "that's a cat."
Stopping at a red light while driving but not stopping at a green light.
Saying "good morning" when seeing family in the morning, but not at night.
Learning to Make Discriminations
Three-Term Contingency: Essential to understand behavioral connections:
Antecedents: Context or situation where a behavior is reinforced.
Behavior: An action that can be reinforced based on previous experiences.
Consequences: Outcomes that influence the likelihood of a behavior being repeated.
Behavioral Context and Reinforcement
Effect of Reinforcement on Behavior:
Reinforced behaviors are more likely to occur in the future.
Unreinforced behaviors are less likely to occur again.
Context matters:
Example: Greeting family with "good morning" is reinforced in the morning but not in the evening.
Pleasant responses reinforce behavior when they are contextually appropriate.
Case Study: Julia and Car Borrowing
Example Scenario:
Julia asks her mom for the car: mom always says yes.
Julia asks her dad for the car: dad always says no.
Result of differing consequences:
Julia is more likely to ask her mom and less likely to ask her dad for the car.
Conclusion: The antecedent stimulus (mom) controls Julia's behavior. This illustrates stimulus control.
Definition of Stimulus Control
Stimulus Control: Occurs when a behavior is more likely to take place in a specific situation where it has been reinforced.
Importance in Behavior Analysis: Understanding stimulus control is crucial for teaching new responses, especially to individuals with learning challenges.
Discrimination Training Explained
Definition: Discrimination training involves reinforcing certain responses while disregarding others in the presence of specific antecedent stimuli.
Example of teaching a child to label objects:
Teacher holds up a "ball."
Student responds with "ball" (reinforcement provided).
If student says something incorrect like "cookie," no reinforcement is given.
Multi-target teaching:
Include various labels in one session (e.g., both "ball" and "car").
Use identical training procedures for each item to avoid generalization.
Reinforcement provided only after the correct response matching the stimulus.
Evaluating the Effectiveness of Discrimination Training
Data Collection & Analysis:
Record the child's responses to each antecedent stimulus to assess learning.
Effectiveness determined by analyzing the data:
Increase in correct responses indicates effective teaching.
No change in responses suggests seeking help from BCBA supervisor.
Graphing Data: Helps in visualizing progress and effectiveness of the teaching procedure.
Summary of Key Points
Discrimination is engaging in differing behavior under certain circumstances.
Antecedents and consequences are vital for learning discriminations.
Data collection and analysis are essential for validating discrimination training.
Final Reminder: Discrimination training involves reinforcing some responses while ignoring others based on antecedent cues.