Reinforcements

ABC Analysis

  • Behavior can be looked at in terms of two other variables-- those that happen immediately before the behavior is emitted, and those that happen immediately after. This is called a contingency analysis
  • A( cue, antecedent) B (behavior, response) C (consequence

Arrange Contingencies

  • When desired outcomes or events follow a behavior, that behavior becomes stronger
  • So, one way of changing behavior is to arrange or alter the natural circumstances by providing specific CONSEQUENCES, selected to increase, decrease, or maintain a behavior of interest. Another way is to change the antecedents so that the behavior is not effective

Strengthening Behavior

  • Reinforcement: Strengthens behavior
  • R+: Positive reinforcement

Reinforcement

  • Reinforcement: Increases the probability of a behavior being repeated. Occurs after the behavior occurs
  • Think of Reinforcement as: reinforced concrete
  • Remember this about reinforcement: behavior MUST get stronger. Otherwise, you don’t have reinforcement.

Two Generations of Reinforces

  • Two types of reinforcers: primary and secondary
  • Primary reinforcers: Food, water/drink, loud siren, shock, cold
  • Secondary reinforcers: paychecks, toys, praise, awards
  • Reinforcement can involve: the presentation or removal of any of stimulus

Two Ways to Reinforce Behavior

  • Two Ways to Reinforce Behavior: adding or removing a stimulus
  • Add a stimulus (+): After the behavior, you give the child something
  • Remove a stimulus ( - ): After the behavior, something disappears

Reinforcing by Adding

  • The most popular type of reinforcement: is positive reinforcement
  • Most pleasant type of reinforcement: positive reinforcement
  • Most successful type of reinforcement (without the negative side effects): is positive reinforcement
  • Most common reinforcement includes praise, smiles, and paychecks: positive reinforcement

Reinforcement by removing

  • R- reinforcement by removing: Behavior occurs to end or avoid the reinforcer
  • R- reinforcement: Avoid or escape the stimulus
  • Reinforcement by removing: BEHAVIOR STILL INCREASES! It will be more likely next time because it got you out of that negative situation last time.
  • Examples of negative reinforcement: buzzes, alarm clock
  • Potential side effects of negative reinforcement: Avoidance reinforced behavior occurs in the absence of aversive stimulus- prevents it. Escape reduces duration of negative reinforcement

Effective Reinforcing

  • Effective reinforcing: Assess immediately before teaching, immediacy, avoid satiation/provide novelty, permit sampling, remove competing contingencies, use appropriate reinforcer schedule for your goal, pair with natural reinforcers/setting events, reinforcer cannot interfere with task
  • Assess immediately before teaching
  • Immediacy
  • Avoid satiation/provide novelty
  • Permit sampling
  • Remove competing contingencies
  • Use the appropriate reinforcer schedule for your goal
  • Pair with natural reinforcers/setting events
  • A reinforcer cannot interfere with task
  • Bribery vs Positive Reinforcement: In bribery, incentive is offered before task is assigned. There is a component of personal motive behind bribery.

Bad Attitudes

  • Kids shouldn’t need treats to do the right thing
  • Edible reinforceres are bad
  • These kids are too old for reinforceers
  • We don’t use candy in this class
  • I can’t use this reinforcer because then everyone wants it (fairness issues)

I want him to want to do it because it is right/good/correct/fun!

  • No pain, no gain
  • Plan to fade to natural contexts and cues

Choosing Reinforcers

  • Reinforcement is not static- it changes over time

  • Reinforcer Menu

  • Reinforcer Sampling

  • Direct Questioning

  • Observation

    Reinforcer Inventory

Rationale

  • Rationale: saves time, easier than 25 individual economies, takes advantage of models, quick change in group dynamics, can include sub-economies

  • Rationale saves: time

  • Rationale is easier than: 25 individual economies

  • Rationale takes advantage of: models

  • Rationale can result in: quick change in group dynamics

  • Rationale can include: sub-economies

Ethical Considerations

  • Ethical Considerations of reinforcements: peer pressure, scapegoating, effects of individuals on group outcomes masked, performance trends of individuals masked, can lead to accepting ineffective intervention

  • Peer pressure

  • Scapegoating

  • Effects of individuals on group outcomes masked

  • Performance trends of individuals masked

  • Can lead to accepting ineffective intervention

Problems in Token Economies 1: Client-Related Problems

  • Haggling, arguments, and complaints; clients may attempt to get unearned tokens or backup reinforcers for which they have insufficient tokens: IGNORE THESE. Do not discuss tokens outside of exchange or opening of day. If the problem persists, impose a penalty by having the client purchase “Talk about tokens time”

Problems in Token Economies II: System-Related Problems

  • Token inflation: (gradual increase in prices of backup reinforcers) due to clients earning too many tokens (too lenient?)
  • Token depression: (gradual decrease in prices of back reinforcers) due to clients earning too few tokens (too strict?)
  • Confusion in token economy possibly due to: the program being too complex

Fixing problems in token economies: Hoarding

  • Hoarding: (failure to exchange tokens)
  • For hoarding, following token exchange, clients should: lose all unspent tokens

Fixing Problems in Token Exonomies 3: Counterfeiting, Theft, and Extortion

  • Individualize and customize the tokens so that they are identifiable as belonging to a particular client and cannot be reprodued
  • Keep duplicate records of number of tokens earned by each client
  • Punish these offense with response cost or timeout