Negative Reinforcement and Related Concepts

Differential Reinforcement

Builds on previous discussions of Sue and Jimmy (tantrum behavior).
Addresses inadvertently reinforcing inappropriate behavior (Jimmy's tantrums) by providing escape.
Recommends teaching appropriate ways to request breaks.
Concepts: different behavior, different magnitude of behavior, incompatible behavior.
Differential reinforcement involves reinforcing one behavior and not another.
A whole unit on differential reinforcement will be covered later.
Important: When reducing a behavior, teach an alternative way to access reinforcement.
Successful intervention depends on this.
Differential reinforcement of an alternate behavior teaches a function-equivalent replacement behavior.

It teaches a behavior that provides the same reinforcer but is more socially acceptable.
Often takes the form of functional communication training (especially for individuals with developmental disabilities).
Teaching communication skills can be very important and opens doors.
People used to supporting individuals with developmental disabilities may anticipate needs and persist through communication difficulties; others may not.
A stronger communicative repertoire makes more people available and allows needs to be met in more naturalistic settings.
When reducing a behavior, teach a function-equivalent replacement behavior so the individual experiences reinforcement in another way.
Taking away someone's reinforcers is unethical.
Mismatch between what you're teaching and what they're getting from the challenging behavior may lead to ineffective procedure.

DRA is a common behavior analytic intervention.
Involves teaching a functionally equivalent alternate behavior.
Example: teaching Jimmy to request a break appropriately (assuming the reinforcer maintaining his tantrum is getting a break, i.e., escape).
Teaches another way to access negative reinforcement in the form of escape.
Benefits Jimmy (less exclusion) and Sue (no more tantrums), as well as classmates (time on task).
Functional communication training teaches people to communicate their needs.

To teach the right communication (Jimmy's request), consider the function of the behavior.
Function: the payoff for the behavior, what the subject obtains as a consequence following a behavior.
Can be socially mediated or automatic; positive or negative.
Often described in four categories: Escape/Avoid, Tangible, Attention, Sensory (Automatic).
- Escape/Avoid: Delay the onset of something or get out of experiencing something altogether.
- Tangible: Access to a thing.
- Attention: Individual providing attention (doesn't have to be positive; reprimands can be reinforcing, especially if deprived of attention).
- Sensory/Automatic: Things that just feel good (e.g., self-stimulatory behaviors, scratching, taking pain relievers).
Subjects repeat behaviors that work for them (reinforcement).
If you know the function (payoff), you can identify the maintaining consequences and change the behavior.
Ways to change behavior:
- Alter the consequence so the behavior is no longer effective or produces a different result.
- Change the motivation to attain the consequence.
- Teach a different way to attain a consequence (DRA and functional communication training).
New behavior needs to be functionally aligned to be equally or more valuable to the individual.

Functional assessment and functional analysis are used.
Behavior analysis is a data-driven science.
Gather information and collect data to identify patterns in the behavior.
Start by observing antecedents, behavior, and consequences.
Generate a hypothesis: "I think this behavior is maintained by this reinforcer, this stimulus that happens in the environment following behavior pretty consistently."
Test the hypothesis by implementing an intervention that addresses the behavior or a functional analysis (gold standard for determining function).
Review data and adjust the intervention if necessary.

Intervening often involves the behavior of those who support the individual.
Basic contingency model:
- No escape behavior by the victim.
- Aversive behavior of the perpetrator.
- Victim engages in escape behavior to avoid aversive behavior.
- Aversive behavior stops when the individual gives in. The person who gave in also receives negative reinforcement.
This becomes cyclical.
Example: child throws a tantrum in the supermarket, parent buys the toy, tantrum stops, but leads to additional instances of the aversive behavior because it's now got a history of reinforcement.

No escape behavior by victim.
Aversive behavior of perpetrator.
Individual engages in escape behavior to avoid aversive behavior.
Afterwards when the individual sort of gives in to what the person engaging in aversive behavior wants, there’s no more aversive behavior, so the person who gave in also receives negative reinforcement.
This becomes cyclical, Right?