Registered Behavior Technician Training: Principles of Prompting, Shaping, and Differential Reinforcement

Foundations of Learning, Shaping, and Differential Reinforcement

  • Definition of Learning:

    • Learning is defined as a change in behavior that endures over time.
    • Enduring Learning Example: A child who is taught to tie his shoes at age 55 and can still tie his shoes at age 88 has successfully learned to tie his shoes.
    • Non-Enduring Behavior Example: A child who is taught to spell the word "cat" but can no longer spell the word 6 weeks6\text{ weeks} later has not learned to spell the word "cat".
    • Core Criterion: For learning to occur, there must be a change in behavior that persists across time.

  • Definition and Mechanics of Shaping:

    • Shaping involves differentially reinforcing successive approximations to a target behavior.
    • It entails differentially reinforcing responses that are progressively closer to the ultimate target response.
    • Only responses that approximate the target behavior receive reinforcement.
    • All other responses that do not meet the current approximation criterion are placed on extinction.
    • Target Skills for Shaping by Behavior Technicians and Educators:
      • Vocal behavior.
      • Self-care skills.
      • Leisure skills (e.g., playing catch).
      • Academic skills (e.g., writing letters).

Implementation of Shaping and Differential Reinforcement

  • Initial Acquisition and Optimal Responses:

    • When first learning a new skill, a client may not perform the best or optimal response.
    • Through systematic shaping, the client learns what constitutes the best or optimal response.
    • Shaping requires close observation of client behavior to determine precisely which responses warrant reinforcement.

  • Concrete Examples of Shaping:

    • Vocal Behavior Example (Word "Apple"):
      • Initial Phase: Accept and reinforce an early approximation, such as saying "app".
      • Intermediate Phase: Over successive trials, reinforce better approximations, such as saying "epa".
      • Final Phase: Reinforce only the best and target response, which is saying "apple".
    • Motor Skill Example (Tennis Backhand):
      • When teaching a backhand stroke to a novice tennis player, the tennis coach initially provides praise for an approximation of the backhand.
      • Over time, early approximations are no longer reinforced.
      • The coach reserves the most enthusiastic praise exclusively for the best backhand response.

  • Parameters of Differential Reinforcement:

    • Differential reinforcement involves changing what responses are selected for reinforcement.
    • It involves varying the magnitude or size of the reinforcer based on how close the client's response is to the target response.
    • Methods to Vary Reinforcer Magnitude and Presentation:
      • Increasing the saliency of praise statements (e.g., cheering louder/more for responses closest to the target).
      • Providing the largest reward (e.g., giving the most preferred snack) for the best response.
      • Altering teacher/technician affect and facial expression.
      • Utilizing greater vocal enthusiasm.
      • Increasing physical interaction.
      • Delivering highly preferred tangible items (e.g., preferred snacks or toy access).
      • Offering a break or switching tasks.

  • Consequences of Diluted Reinforcement vs. Differential Reinforcement:

    • Diluted Reinforcement Scenario:
      • If a teacher delivers the exact same praise statement (e.g., saying "good job") for every response regardless of quality or accuracy—even when the child achieves the full target word "apple"—reinforcement becomes diluted.
      • Lack of reinforcer differentiation leaves the child unable to discern which response is optimal because poor approximations receive identical praise to target responses.
    • Effective Differential Reinforcement Scenario:
      • Providing exaggerated praise and elevated enthusiasm specifically when the child delivers the response closest to the target (e.g., saying "apple") clearly signals the desired outcome.
      • Receiving the highest quality reward for the best response accelerates the child's learning of the target behavior.

Fundamentals and Types of Prompts

  • Definition of Prompt:

    • A prompt is defined as anything done by the educator or behavior technician to help the client perform the correct response.
    • Initial skill acquisition requires prompting because clients do not yet know how to perform the response accurately without assistance.
    • Practical Examples:
      • Shoe Tying: Guiding a child's hands physically to enable accurate shoe tying.
      • Name Writing: Providing an outline of letters for a child to trace.

  • Seven Major Types of Prompts:

    1. Verbal
    2. Gestural
    3. Modeling
    4. Physical
    5. Positional
    6. Textual
    7. Photographic

  • Demonstration of Specific Prompting Strategies:

    • Positional / Material Placement Prompting: Modifying the physical placement of teaching materials to favor the target response.
    • Gestural Prompting: Pointing to the target item (e.g., pointing to a dog while stating, "Point to the one that barks. A dog barks. There you go.").
    • Verbal Rule / Instruction Prompting: Providing vocal guidance on execution (e.g., "You have to walk close, remember? You're too far. So let's try again."; "Nick, what's your favorite color?"; "Put the block next to the plate.").
    • Modeling Prompting: Demonstrating the desired response visually (e.g., demonstrating placing a block next to a plate while saying, "That's putting the block next to the plate.").
    • Physical / Manual Prompting: Manually guiding the client's body through the movement (e.g., guiding hands to place a block next to a plate and stating, "Good. The block is next to the plate.").
    • Textual Visual Prompts: Displaying text aids (e.g., showing written list of months when asking, "What are the months of the year? January 7, May 9. Good.").
    • Photographic Visual Prompts: Displaying picture aids (e.g., showing a picture of a cat when instructing, "Manny, draw a cat.").
    • Verbal Model Prompting: Vocalizing the exact expected vocal response (e.g., asking "What does a photographer do?" and immediately providing the prompt "Takes pictures.").

Selection, Matching, and Consistency of Prompts

  • Prompt Selection Protocol:

    • Prior to instruction, identify a prompt that reliably evokes the target response each time.
    • Assessment technique: Observe if a specific prompt consistently produces the response across trials (e.g., if pointing to a target picture results in accurate pointing every time, a gestural prompt is an effective starting prompt).
    • Rule of Intrusiveness: Select and utilize the least intrusive prompt that reliably leads to the correct response during initial instruction.

  • Client Matching and Requisite Skills:

    • Prompts must be appropriately matched to the client's current developmental skill level and functional capabilities.
    • A prompt is functional only if the client can respond to it (e.g., a modeling prompt is effective only if the client possesses generalized imitation skills).

  • Consistency and Predictability:

    • Utilize one consistent prompt type rather than mixing multiple prompt types for the same target response.
    • Consistency establishes predictability for the client and allows for systematic prompt fading.

  • Systematic Verbal Prompt Fading Interaction:

    • Trial 1 (Full Prompt):
      • Technician: "What does a photographer do? Takes pictures."
      • Client: "Takes pictures."
      • Technician: "Takes pictures. That's right. A photographer takes pictures. Good."
    • Trial 2 (Partial/Faded Prompt):
      • Technician: "Andrew, what does a photographer do?"
      • Client: "Takes pictures."
      • Technician: "Takes pictures. Beautiful."
    • Trial 3 (Independent Response):
      • Technician: "Andrew, what does a photographer do?"
      • Client: "Takes pictures."
      • Technician: "You are the best. You got it. Oh, wow."

Prompt Fading and the Three-Term Contingency

  • Goal of Prompting:

    • The ultimate goal is complete prompt removal (fading) so that the client performs the target response accurately and independently without assistance.
    • Shoe Tying Fading Progression: High physical assistance initially →\rightarrow systematically reduced assistance over time →\rightarrow total removal of assistance until the client ties shoes independently.

  • The Three-Term Contingency in Prompting:

    • Antecedent (Discriminative Stimulus + Prompt): Vocal instruction "Stand up" paired with manual physical guidance to stand.
    • Behavior: Client stands up.
    • Consequence: Technician provides vocal praise and a small piece of a preferred snack (even though prompted).
    • Fading Process: Manual physical guidance is systematically removed across trials until the antecedent instruction "Stand up" alone reliably evokes the independent behavior of standing up.

  • Systematic Fading of Physical Prompts Example:

    • Task: Identifying a target picture by pointing.
    • Step 1 (Full Manual Prompting): Technician hand-over-hand guides client's hands to point to the picture.
    • Step 2 (Partial Physical Prompting): Technician guides client by the wrists.
    • Step 3 (Lesser Physical Prompting): Technician guides client light-touch at the elbows.
    • Step 4 (Independence): Technician removes all physical contact; client points correctly upon verbal instruction.

Differential Reinforcement During Prompt Fading

  • Integration of Fading and Differential Reinforcement:

    • As prompts are systematically faded, differential reinforcement must be applied to responses requiring less assistance.
    • Responses executed with lower levels of assistance or full independence receive higher magnitude reinforcement (e.g., greater vocal enthusiasm, higher quantity of tangible reinforcers).

  • Demonstration of Differential Reinforcement during Fading:

    • Task: Pointing to an image of a dog upon vocal instruction ("Point to the one that barks").
    • Prompted Response: Client receives basic reinforcement upon prompted pointing ("A dog barks. You're right, Manny. You got it.").
    • Independent / Less-Assisted Response: When the client points with reduced assistance or independently, the technician dramatically increases enthusiasm and reinforcement magnitude:
      • Technician Vocalization: "Oh, a dog barks. There you go. Fantastic. Good. And up. You got it all by yourself!"
      • Reinforcer Delivery: Delivery of 3 stickers3\text{ stickers} specifically for independent responding ("You get three stickers that time. Fluffy feet.").

Core Summary of Key Principles

  • Prompt Definition: Any action performed by an educator or technician to assist a client in emitting the correct response.
  • Prompt Fading Protocol: The systematic and gradual reduction of assistance across successive learning opportunities.
  • Shaping Protocol: The differential reinforcement of successive approximations toward a final target behavior.
  • Differential Reinforcement Application in Prompting: The deliberate delivery of higher-value reinforcers (greater enthusiasm, larger tangible rewards) for responses requiring progressively less prompting assistance.