1.      Behaviors that occur too much or too often

Excessive Behaviors Occur too much or too often

Deficit Behaviors occur too little or infrequent

1. Punishment decreases excessive behaviors and positive reinforcement increases behaviors

For every excessive behavior there is a corresponding deficit behavior. 

Rather than punishment to decrease excessive behaviors use positive reinforcement to increase deficit behaviors.

Changing the antecedent conditions or stimulus can often reduce excessive behaviors.

Differential reinforcement of alternative behaviors (DRA) refers to the procedure that provided positive reinforcement for the occurrence of appropriate behaviors that are incompatible with the excessive behaviors.

Ability to deliver reinforcement are directly related to the successful implementation

When is positive reinforcement delivered in a DRA program?

In order to receive reinforcement the person must engage in a specific target behavior

1.      How do you implement a DRA program?

1.  
   1. Alternative behavior must be incompatible with present behavior
   2. The alternative behavior must be in the person repertoire
   3. The alternative behavior should be practical, functional, and likely to be maintained through natural consequences of the environment
   4. The use of principles of positive reinforcement to reinforce the behavior

Advantages are positive approach,

it teaches appropriate behaviors, and it is long lasting.

Disadvantages are there may be a gradual reduction

If a person completes an interval without displaying inappropriate behavior positive reinforcement is delivered.

Start at a level that ensures that the person will experience success and receive positive reinforcement. 

Was designed to be a progressive schedule - progress to increase interval by one-half for every three targets met

Rule of thumb is to start the DRO schedule at one half the amount of time the person can go without displaying the inappropriate behavior.

Take baseline to determine the size of the interval

Positive reinforcement is provided for the non- occurrence of a behavior

Progressively increase the time interval that the person must not engage in the behavior

Program is a positive approach, DRO works quickly and there is a rapid decrease in behavior, DRO is long lasting and the decrease in behavior is long lasting.

Positive reinforcement must be carefully schedules, gradually and progressively increase the size of the intervals.  The OTHER behavior they replace with the old behavior may be worse.  DRO do not teach alternative behaviors as reinforcement is delivered on the basis of excessive behaviors not occurring.

1.  
   • In DRA a specific behavior is specified and positive reinforcement is delivered for engaging in this behavior.
   • In DRO programs no target behavior is specified in order to receive reinforcement.  Rather the reinforcement is delivered for the non-occurrence of behavior.
   • DRA is a respondent that requires the person to engage in a specific behavior in order to get positive behavior reinforcement.
   • DRO is time dependent – must not engage in the behavior for a set period of time to gain reinforcement.

Extinction refers to a procedure in which positive reinforcement is withheld of no longer occurs following the incidence of a behavior.

1.  
   1. Demonstrate that the positive reinforcer was in fact the positive reinforcer.
   2. Be able to control the positive reinforcer (be able to withhold after behavior occurred).

Extinction is different from being ignored – Ignoring means you no longer attend to the behavior when it occurs.  Unless attention is a reinforce withholding your attention would have no effect on behavior. 

Extinction burst refers to a temporary increase in the rate and/or intensity of behavior.

Spontaneous recovery refers to after a behavior has decreased (via extinction) the behavior may reoccur – however if it is not reinforced will disappear again quickly.

When behavior no longer leads to reinforcement a behavior may escalate (extinction burst).  At times the person may engage in other inappropriate behaviors such as property destruction, aggression, and/or self-injury.

A stimulus that was previously reinforced that is no longer reinforced may become an aversive stimulus.

1.  
   1. Identify and control all reinforcers
   2. Maintain extinction long enough for the behavior to decrease
   3. The excessive behavior tends to increase before it decreases
   4. Spontaneous recovery may occur

Long lasting, is a positive approach, uncomplicated if all staff are implementing (2 of 4 staff implementing behavior will not decrease)

Extinction is a punishment procedure, there may be a temporary rate in increase of the behavior prior to extinction, sometimes it is difficult to identify and control reinforcers.

Timeout is when the opportunity to be reinforced is removed for a time

Timeout with isolation –exclusionary timeout

Timeout without isolation-non-exclusionary timeout

Removal from an aversive stimuli or environment

Negative reinforcement

Remove all reinforcers for a brief time follow occurrence of excessive behaviors

Make sure that timeout is timeout from reinforcement

The timeout procedure should administer in a matter of fact non-emotional way

Be consistent and closely monitor timeout

Arrange environment to prevent the escape of a contingency

What are the advantages of a time-out program?

The timeout procedures are long-lasting

Timeout procedures often result in a rapid decrease in the behavior

More effective when combined with positive reinforcement

Punishment procedure

Exclusionary time-out removes person from training environment

Physical movement of the person may be necessary

Timeout procedures are negatively reinforcing for staff

Exclusionary time-out is a very intrusive procedure

The timeout may be reinforcing for the person. 

Negative reinforcement: escape conditioning

Positive Reinforcement:  More fun in time-out than in the natural setting

Punishment procedure in which x amount of reinforcers is removed following the occurrence of a excessive behavior.

Punishment procedure in which x amount of reinforcers is removed following the occurrence of a excessive behavior.

For every behavior it is the magnitude of the response versus the magnitude of the consequence (sometimes it’s worth it)

It is an excessive amount for the crime

1.      In order for the response cost programs to be effective it is necessary to have the opportunity to ...

Communicate rules of the game so that they know how to earn the reinforcers

The person must have a reinforcement reserve

The person must be able to earn reinforcers for appropriate behavior

Response cost procedures are long-lasting

Rapid decrease in behavior

Can stay in training environment

More effective when combined with positive reinforcement

Effectiveness depends upon reinforcement history.  It does no good to take away something that was not reinforcing in the first place.

Response cost may result in aggressive behavior

After all fines are expended then what

Reinforcers are identified and controlled

A punishment procedure in which the person must provide restitution for engaging in excessive behavior.

Overcorrection must be relevant to inappropriate behavior

            Overcorrection must fit crime

            Overcorrection must be applied immediately and consistently

            Overcorrection must be meaningful to the person

Rapid decrease in behavior

            Long lasting behavior change

            Relate to natural occurring consequences

            Effective with the behavior of stealing

Punishment procedure

Time consuming to implement

Positive practice over correction may be non-functional – not related to behavior

Person can go in “the hole”

Raises ethical legal issues

Overcorrection must be relevant to inappropriate behavior

Over correction procedures must be applied immediately and consistently

Arrange environment to prevent escape

            Rapid decrease in behavior

            Long lasting behavior change

            Promotes generalization

Punishment procedure

Time consuming to implement

Positive practice over correction may be non-functional

If behavior increases then reinforcement is being implemented and if behavior decreases a punishment has been implemented.