ABA Learning Objectives Chp.21, 22, and 23
4. What effects of antecedent events are they referring to?
...
6. What five guidelines will improve the effectiveness of DRI and DRA?
1. Select incompatible/alternative behavior 2. Select reinforcers that are powerful and can be delivered consistently 3. Reinforcing incompatible/alternative behavior immediately and consistently 4. Withhold reinforcement for the problem behavior 5. Combine DRI/DRA with other procedures
2. What are the four most researched variations of DR for decreasing inappropriate behavior?
4 most researched variations of differential reinforcement for decreasing inappropriate behavior are differential reinforcement of incompatible behavior (DRI), DRA, DRO, DRL.
Know the difference between contingency-dependent and contingency-independent antecedent events
Is dependent on the consequence behavior for developing evocative and abative effects -all stimulus control functions Is NOT dependent on the consequence behavior for developing evocative and abative effects -antecedent event affects behavior
4. What did Smith and Iwata (1997) remind us?
That the effects of MOs are temporary - antecedent interventions by themselves will not produce improvements in behavior
1. What is the distinction between procedural and functional variations of E including the points in 457, 6?
The use of functional behavior assessments have enabled applied behavior analysts to distinguish clearly between the procedural variations of extinction (ignoring the problem and it will go away) and the functional variations of extinction (withholding maintaining reinforcers). The distinction may have increased research in using basic extinction procedures in applied settings. When the extinction procedure is matched to the behavioral function, the intervention is usually effective. (pg. 457)
What is FCT an application of?
differential reinforcement of alternative behavior
What forms can it (alternative communication) take?
vocalizations, signs, communication boards, word or picture cards, vocal output systems, or gestures
5. What is meant by the last sentence in the paragraph about enriched environments with positive stimuli?
...
Is this a reasonable distinction between contingency-dependent and contingency-independent antecedent events?
...
When is thinning a time-based schedule best begun?
After the initial NCR interval has produced a reduction in the problem behavior
8. The omission requirement can make reinforcement contingent on the problem behavior not occurring when?
The omission requirement can make reinforcement contingent on the problem behavior not occurring either 1) throughout an entire interval of time (interval DRO) or 2) at specific moments of time (momentary DRO).
1. What are three unwanted side effects of extinction and punishment?
evoke escape, avoidance, and aggression
5. What (at least four) predictable characteristics are behaviors undergoing extinction associated with?
1. Gradual decrease in frequency and amplitude. 2. Extinction burst. 3. Initial increase in response amplitude. 4. Spontaneous recovery. (Pg. 461- 462)
4. What does a practitioner applying DRI do?
A practitioner using DRI reinforces a behavior that cannot occur simultaneously with the problem behavior and withholds reinforcement following instances of the problem behavior.
9. What is a conjunctive schedule?
Conjunctive schedule (conj) of reinforcement is in effect whenever reinforcement follows the completion of response requirements for both a ratio schedule and an interval schedule of reinforcement.
15. What if the problem behavior worsens?
If problem behavior worsens, the practitioner can decrease the duration of the interval to a level that again controls the problem behavior.
2. What must antecedent treatments involving stimulus control include?
Manipulating consequent events, changing the differential availability of reinforcement in the presence and absence of the SDs
Be able to understand the footnote
Reinforcer is a stimulus with known reinforcing properties (has been reinforcing in the past)-- NCR does not use reinforcer in this way
4. What can we say about the two behaviors?
The behavior that gets reinforced and the problem behavior that is placed on extinction are mutually exclusive response classes whose different topographies make it impossible to emit both behaviors at the same time.
Why is setting the initial NCR time schedule is important
the initial schedule can have an impact on the effectiveness of the intervention.
How is FCT defined as a two-step process
1) completing a functional behavior assessment to identify to stimuli with known reinforcing properties that maintain the problem behavior 2)using those stimuli as reinforcers to develop an alternative behavior to replace the problem behavior
What three procedures have applied behavior analysts used to thin NCR schedules?
1) constant time increase 2) proportional time increase 3) session-to-session time increase or decrease
What are five criteria for the effective use of FCT?
1) dense schedule of reinforcement 2) decreased use of verbal prompts 3) behavior reduction procedures 4) schedule thinning 5) ?
6. What are the three distinct procedures used in NCR?
1) positive reinforcement 2) negative reinforcement 3) automatic reinforcement
What are the three key elements for enhancing the effectiveness of NCR?
1) the amount and quality of stimuli with known reinforcing properties influence the effectiveness 2) most treatments include extinction with NCR interventions 3) reinforcer preferences can change during intervention (NCR stimuli may not continue competing with the reinforcers that maintain the problem behavior)
15. What are the three procedures that Poling and Ryan (1982) suggested for increasing the DRO interval?
1. Increase the DRO interval by a constant duration of time (ex: increase every 15 seconds) 2. Increase intervals proportionately (increase by 10%) 3. Change the DRO interval each session based on the learner's performance
12. What are the six guidelines for the effective use of DRO?
1. Recognize the limitations of DRO 2. Set initial DRO intervals that assure frequent reinforcement 3. Do not inadvertently reinforce other undesirable behaviors 4. Gradually increase the DRO interval 5. Extend the application of DRO to other settings and times of day 6. Combine DRO with other procedures.
8. Be familiar with the 10 guidelines for using extinction in applied settings.
1. Withholding all reinforcers maintaining the problem behavior. 2. Withholding reinforcement consistently. 3. Combining extinction with other procedures. 4. Using instructions. 5. Planning for extinction- produced aggression 6. Increasing the number of extinction trials 7. Including significant others in extinction. 8. Guarding against unintentional extinction. 9. Maintaining extinction decreased behavior. 10. When not to use extinction. (Pg. 464-467)
5. What does a practitioner applying DRA do When escape from a task or demand situation is used as the reinforcer in a differential reinforcement procedure for educing inappropriate behavior, the intervention is sometimes called differential negative reinforcement of alternative (or incompatible) behavior (DNRA or DNRI).
A practitioner using DRA reinforces occurrences of a behavior that provides a desirable alternative to the problem behavior but is not necessarily incompatible with it.
8. When does a practitioner using DRO deliver a reinforcer?
A practitioner using DRO delivers a reinforcer whenever the problem behavior has not occurred during or at specific times.
14. What is a "pure" DRO, when is it typically used as a treatment of choice for serious behavior problems?
A pure DRO is contingent only on the absence of the targeted problem behavior (most general response class) Typically used as treatment for serious behavior problems when thy occur at very high rates by people whose current repertoires provide few, in any, other behaviors that might function as alterative or incompatible behaviors and for whom just anything else they might do is less of a problem that the target behavior.
2. What do all applications of differential reinforcement (DR) entail?
All applications of differential reinforcement entail reinforcing one response class and withholding reinforcement for another response class.
6. What is the extinction burst?
An immediate increase in the frequency of the response after the removal of positive, negative, or automatic reinforcement.
2. What must behavior change strategies based on motivating operations change?
Antecedent events
1. What have applied behavior analysts developed and why?
Applied behavior analysts have developed effective reinforcement based-procedures for reducing problem behaviors.
5. what can we say about the two behaviors?
Behavior analysts can use an alternative behavior to occupy the time that the problem behavior would ordinarily use. The alternative behavior and the problem behavior however, are not topographically incompatible. For example, a classroom teacher could assign two students who frequently argue with each other to work on a class project together, thus reinforcing cooperative behaviors associated with project development. Working together on a class project is not incompatible with arguing; the two response classes could occur together. However the two students might argue less when engaged in cooperative behaviors.
7. What is meant by resistance to extinction?
Behavior that continues to occur during extinction is said to have greater resistance to extinction than behavior that diminishes quickly. (Pg.463)
4. What happens in sensory extinction?
Behaviors maintained by automatic reinforcement are placed on extinction (a.k.a. sensory extinction); by masking or removing the sensory consequence. Extinction linked to automatic reinforcement is not a recommended treatment option for problem behaviors. (Pg. 460)
4. What happens in escape extinction?
Behaviors maintained by negative reinforcement are placed on extinction (a.k.a. escape extinction) when those behaviors do not produce a removal of the aversive stimulus, meaning that the person cannot escape from the aversive situation.(Pg. 459-460)
How can applied behavior analysts enhance the effectiveness of NCR?
By presenting a greater amount of stimuli with known reinforcing properties than the rate of reinforcement in the non-NCR condition -NCR schedule denser than the baseline schedule
7. What other characteristics of responding influence resistance to extinction?
Continuous and Intermittent Reinforcement Establishing Operation Number, Magnitude, and Quality of Reinforcement Number of Previous Extinction Trials Response Effort(pg.463-464)
1. What convergence has recently taken place?
Convergence of motivating operations (MOs) and functional behavior assessments -Allowed ABAs to conceptually align applied research on the effects of antecedent conditions other than stimulus control to basic principles of behavior
3. What are DRI and DRA's dual effects and how they be conceptualized when properly implemented as a treatment for problem behavior?
DRI And DRA have the dual effects of weakening the problem behavior while simultaneously strengthening acceptable behaviors that are either incompatible with or an alternative to the targeted problem behaviors. When properly implemented as a treatment for problem behavior, they can be conceptualized as a schedule of reinforcement In which two concurrent operants - the inappropriate behavior targeted for reduction and the appropriate behavior selected - receive reinforcement at different rates. .
16. What is a DRL?Differential Reinforcement of Low Rates (DLR): schedule of reinforcement meant to decrease the rate of behaviors that occur too frequently, but should be maintained in the learner's repertoire. Reinforces when rates are lower that a predetermined criteria, or when there is a minimum of a predetermined interresponse time between responses.
Differential Reinforcement of Low Rates (DLR): schedule of reinforcement meant to decrease the rate of behaviors that occur too frequently, but should be maintained in the learner's repertoire. Reinforces when rates are lower that a predetermined criteria, or when there is a minimum of a predetermined interresponse time between responses.
What procedure can be used to determine an initial NCR schedule?
Divide the total duration of all baseline sessions by the total number of occurrences of the problem behavior recorded during baseline, and set the initial interval at or slightly below the quotient
2. How is E defined as a technical term?
Extinction (E) is a technical term that applied behavior analysts should use only to identify the procedure of withholding reinforcers that maintain behavior.
1. When does extinction (E) as a procedure occur?
Extinction as a procedure occurs when reinforcement of a previously reinforced behavior is discontinued; as a result, the frequency of that behavior decreases in the future.
10. What is the difference between fixed-momentary and variable-momentary DROs and interval DROs?
Fixed- momentary DRO (FM-DRO) and variable-momentary DRO (VM-DRO) schedules use the same procedures as interval DRO (FI-DRO, VI-DRO) EXCEPT that reinforcement is contingent on the absence of the problem behavior ONLY when each interval ENDS, rather than throughout the entire interval as with the whole-interval DRO.
9. What is the difference between a fixed- interval and a variable-interval DRO?
Fixed-interval DRO (FI-DRO) a practitioner: Most applications of interval DRO apply the omission requirement at the end of successive time intervals of equal duration. Procedure: 1) establishes an interval of time 2) delivers reinforcement at the end of that interval if the problem did not occur during the interval 3) upon any occurrence of the problem behavior, immediately resets the timer to begin a new interval. When reinforcement is delivered contingent on the absence of the targeted problem behavior during intervals of varying and unpredictable durations, a variable-interval DRO (VI-DRO) schedule is in effect.
2. What are four common misuses of the term?
Four common misuses of the term are: 1. Using extinction to refer to any decrease in behavior. 2. Confusing forgetting and extinction 3. Confusing response blocking and sensory extinction 4. Confusing non-contingent reinforcement and extinction. (Pg 457)
1. What did they (ABA's) rarely address?
How an antecedent event itself affected behavior.
6. Ideally, what (four things) should the behavior selected to be incompatible or alternative be?
Ideally the behavior selected to be incompatible with or alternative to the inappropriate behavior: 1) already exists in the learner's current repertoire 2) requires equal, or preferably less, effort than the problem behavior 3) is being emitted at a rate prior to the DRI/DRA intervention that will provide sufficient opportunities for reinforcement 4) is likely to be reinforced in the learner's natural environment after intervention is terminated.
16. What is an IRT?
Interresponse time: technical term for the duration of time between two responses
1. What happens when a behavior with a long and consistent history is placed on extinction?
Maladaptive emotional behavior and a higher-than-usual rate of responding are commonly observed when a behavior with a long and consistent history of reinforcement is placed on extinction.
9. What type of DRO do most researchers and practitioners use?
Most practitioners use the fixed-interval DRO as an intervention for problem behaviors.
14. What must practitioners using DRO be careful not to do?
Practitioners must be careful not to inadvertently strengthen other undesirable behaviors.
3. What is DRI?
Procedure for decreasing problem behavior in which reinforcement is delivered for a behavior that is topographically incompatible with the behavior targeted for reduction and withheld following instances of the problem behavior.
3. What is DRA?
Procedure for decreasing problem behavior in which reinforcement is delivered for a behavior that serves as a desirable alternative to the behavior targeted for reduction and withheld following instances of the problem behavior.
17. What are the four guidelines for using (or factors that influence the effectiveness of) DRL schedules?
Recognize the limitations of the DRL (DRL's are not meant for immediate and drastic changes) 1. Choose the most Appropriate DRL Procedure 2. Use Baseline Data to Guide the Selections of the Initial Response or IRT Limits 3. Gradually thin the DRL schedule 4. Provide feedback to the learner
7. What does the study by Vollmer et al. (1999) show and what was the "important and perhaps surprising finding"?
Results from a study by Vollmer suggest that even when such treatment "mistakes" occur, differential reinforcement may still be effective. An important and perhaps surprising finding of the Vollmer study was that partial implementation was effective under certain conditions. During partial implementation, the participants' behavior showed a "disproportional tendency toward appropriate behavior".
7. What are the three methods commonly used to measure it?
Reynolds (1968) gave two ways: 1. The rate of decline in response frequency. 2. The total number of responses emitted before responding either attains some final low level or ceases. Lerman, Iwata, Shore, Kahng (1996) gave last way: 3. The duration of time required for a behavior to reach a predetermined criterion. (Pg. 463)
How did Rincover (1981) described naturally occurring sensory consequences?
Side note: Some behaviors produce natural sensory consequences that maintain the behavior. Rincover (1981) described naturally occurring sensory consequences as a stimulus that "sounds good, looks good, tastes good, smells good, feels good to touch, or the movement itself is good" (Pg. 460)
11. What DRO have some researchers found to be more effective for suppressing problem behavior and for maintaining reduced levels of problem behavior?
Some researchers have found that interval DRO is more effective for suppressing problem behavior (than momentary DRO). Momentary DRO has been found to be most useful in maintaining reduced levels of problem behavior (produced by interval DRO).
11. And what are two potential advantages of VM-DRO schedules over FI-DRO schedules?
The VM-DRO schedule appears more practical because the practitioner does not need to monitor the participant's behavior at all times. Data obtained by these researchers showed that participants obtained higher overall rates of reinforcement with VM-DRO than they did with FI-DRO.
8. What is the delivery of reinforcement determined by?
The delivery of reinforcement with DRO is determined by a combination of how the omission requirement is implemented and scheduled.
What should applied behavior analysts be cognizant of?
The different factors underlying the evocative functions of SDs and MOs -SDs evoke behavior because they have been correlated with increased availability of reinforcement -MOs are an establishing operation that increase the current frequency of certain types of behavior even when an effective reinforcer is not available
6. What does the effectiveness of any intervention involving DR depend on?
The effectiveness of any intervention involving differential reinforcement depends on the practitioner's ability to deliver and withhold consistently stimulus changes that currently function as reinforcement.
7. What does the effectiveness of DR as an intervention for problem behavior depend on?
The effectiveness of differential reinforcement as an intervention for problem behavior depends on the incompatible or alternative behavior yielding a higher rate of reinforcement than the problem behavior. Maximizing the difference between rates of reinforcement obtained by the 2 response classes entails withholding all reinforcement for the problem behavior.
6. What is spontaneous recovery? Spontaneous Recovery
The reappearance of the behavior after it has diminished to its prereinforcement level or stopped entirely. The behavior that diminished during the extinction process recurs even though the behavior does not produce reinforcement. It is short lived and limited if the extinction procedure remains in effect. (Pg. 462)
6. What is often the most effective reinforcer?
The same consequence that is maintaining the problem behavior prior to intervention is often the most effective reinforcer for the alternative or incompatible behavior.
3. What are the three distinct forms procedures for E take?
The three distinct forms are: 1. Extinction of behavior maintained by positive reinforcement. 2. Extinction of behavior maintained by negative reinforcement. 3. Extinction of behavior maintained by automatic reinforcement. (pg. 458- 460)
1. What did applied behavior analysts traditionally emphasize?
The three term contingency: -How consequences affect behavior, -How differential consequences produce stimulus discrimination -Stimulus control
13. What is the guideline for establishing an initial DRO time interval that ensures that the learner's current level of behavior will contact reinforcement?
To ensure the learner's behavior will contact reinforcement, the beginning interval should be set equal to or slightly below the mean baseline
5. What is DRNA (or DNRI)?
When escape from a task or demand situation is used as the reinforcer in a differential reinforcement procedure for educing inappropriate behavior, the intervention is sometimes called differential negative reinforcement of alternative (or incompatible) behavior (DNRA or DNRI).
2. What are the two components DR consists of when it used as a reductive procedure for problem behavior?
When used as a reductive procedure for problem behavior, differential reinforcement consists of 2 components: 1) providing reinforcement contingent on either the occurrence of a behavior other than the problem behavior or the problem behavior occurring at a reduced rate and 2) withholding reinforcement as much as possible for the problem behavior.
8. When is reinforcement delivered on an interval vs. a momentary DRO?
With an interval DRO, reinforcement is delivered if no occurrences of the problem behavior were observed throughout the entire interval. Any instance of the target behavior resets the interval, thereby postponing reinforcement. With a momentary DRO procedure, reinforcement is contingent on the absence of the problem behavior at specific points in time.
3. What may DRI and DRA promote?
With the proper selection of behaviors, these two interventions may promote educational, social, and personal skill development
Know what a high-probability (high-p) request sequence is.
an antecedent intervention in which two to five easy tasks with a known history of learner compliance (the high-p requests) are presented in quick succession immediately before requesting the target task, the low-p request.
What is functional communication training (FCT)
establishes an appropriate communication behavior to compete with problem behaviors evoked by an establishing operation (EO).
Know the two time-based schedules used in NCR applications.
fixed-time schedule (FT)- interval of time for the presentation of stimuli remains the same from delivery to delivery -most application of NCR use FT variable time schedule (VT)- NCR time interval varies from delivery to delivery
5. What does noncontingent reinforcement (NCR) include?
is an antecedent intervention in which stimuli with known reinforcing properties are delivered on a fixed-time (FT) or variable-time (VT) schedule independent of the learner's behaviors
16. What is spaced- responding DRL?
practitioner delivers a reinforcer following an occurrence of a response that is separated by at least a minimum amount of time from the previous response
16. What is an interval DRL?
practitioner divides a total session into a series of equal time intervals and provides reinforcement at the end of each interval in which the number of occurrences of the problem behavior during that interval is equal to or below criterion
16. What is a full- session DRL?
reinforcement is delivered at the end of an instructional or treatment session if during the entire session the target behavior occurred at a number equal to or below a predetermined criterion
What do FCT-based interventions typically involve?
several behavior change tactics in addition to teaching the alternative communication response Ex. response prompting, time-out, physical restraint, response blocking, redirection, and extinction
What does the alternative communicative response produce?
the reinforcer that has maintained the problem behavior, making the communicative response functionally equivalent to the problem behaviors
3. How does the chapter use the term antecedent intervention?
to identify behavior change tactics based on contingency-independent antecedent events
