EDSPE 527

Arranging Consequences That Increase Behavior

Arranging Consequences

►As teachers we are interested in arranging consequences to increase behavior

►A consequence that increases or maintains behavior is a reinforcer

►Consequence is only a reinforcer if it increases or maintains behavior

Naturally Occurring Reinforcement

►Reinforcement may occur naturally as people interact with their environment

Receiving an “A” on a quiz after studying the night before increases the probability you will or will not study hard the next time you have a quiz

Appropriate social behavior is positively reinforced by natural reactions of other people

Turning on a fan on a hot day to become cool

Positive Reinforcement (SR+)

► The contingent presentation of a consequence immediately following a response that INCREASES the probability of the behavior occurring in the future

Increases or maintains the future rate of behavior Administered contingently upon production of

target behavior Administered immediately to establish

contingently

Negative Reinforcement (SR-)

►The contingent removal of a consequence that INCREASES behavior

The consequence that is removed is aversive to the person

Does not teach student replacement behavior

Not recommended in teaching because it requires the use of an aversive stimulus

►Peer pressure is an example

REMEMBER!

►Negative reinforcement is NOT punishment

►Punishment DECREASES behavior, while reinforcement (positive or negative) INCREASES behavior

Choosing Reinforcers

►Reinforcement history

►Conditions of deprivation

►Individual preferences

Reinforcing Sampling

►Ask►Menu►Present opportunities (single

presentation, forced choice, multiple stimulus, duration sampling)

►Novel►Natural►Consider the age and interests of student

Things to Consider when Determining Reinforcers

►Novel►Natural►Consider the age and interests of

student►Using the Premack Principle

Primary Reinforcers

►Stimuli that have biological importance to an individual

►Unlearned►Need to be in a state of deprivation

Edibles Sensory

Satiation

►A state in which the student has had too much of the reinforcer so that its use is not likely to be reinforcing Student gets tired of a teacher always

saying “Good job!”

►Depravation/satiation is often found in conditions is which…..

How to prevent satiation

►Vary reinforcer

►Shorten instructional session

►Switch to alternative reinforcer

►Decrease the size of reinforcer

►Use an array for student to choose

►Use schedules of reinforcement

Increase reinforcers’ effectiveness

►Contingent If …. Then

►Premack Principle- high-probability behavior is made contingent on the performance of low-probability behavior

Example: IF you finish your math THEN you can have free time

►Immediate To avoid inadvertently reinforcing

behavior Eventually introduce delay

Secondary (unconditioned) Reinforcers

►Stimuli that are initially neutral but acquire reinforcing qualities through pairing with a primary reinforcer

social, activity, and generalized reinforcers

Secondary (unconditioned) Reinforcers

►How do secondary reinforcers gain their properties? pairing

Social Reinforcers

►A category of secondary reinforcers that includes facial expressions, proximity, contact, privileges, words , and phrases

►How do social reinforcers obtain reinforcing qualities?

Token Reinforcers

► Symbolic representations exchangeable for some reinforcer of value to students Points, stars, stickers

► Analogous to use of money in general society

► Used as transition between primary reinforcers and the natural community of secondary reinforcers

► Need tokens and backup reinforcers

Token Reinforcers

►To Start Token reinforcers and back up reinforcers

►Must tell students What behaviors receive tokens What are the backup reinforcers What will it cost to get the backup When they can exchange for the backup

Token Reinforcers

►Be careful of: Counterfeiting Accumulation of tokens

►Desired outcomes Changing the behavior that has been

rewarded to the target behavior Move to a social reinforcer

Variations in Administration of Reinforcers

►Individual►Group►Group contingencies►Peer Mediations

Schedules of Reinforcement

► Continuous (CRF): Delivery of reinforcement on a continuous basis

Example: A child says “thank you” and the parent replies with “your welcome”

► Intermittent: Requires greater numbers of correct responses for reinforcement. Delivered under two schedules: ratio schedules and interval schedules.

Example: A child makes his bed everyday in a week and the parent acknowledges when she sees it on Weds.

Schedules of Reinforcement

► Ratio Schedule: The number of times a target behavior occurs determines the timing of reinforcer delivery. (Fixed/Variable)

► Interval Schedule: The occurrence of at least one correct response plus the passage of a specific amount of time. (Fixed/Variable)

► Response-Duration: The continuous amount of time of a target behavior determines the delivery of a reinforcer. (Fixed/Variable)

►Fixed –ratio schedule (FR) In a fixed-ratio (FR) schedule, the NUMBER

of appropriate responses required for a reinforcer is held constant

►Variable-ratio schedule (VR) In a variable-ratio (VR) schedule, the

number of appropriate responses required for reinforcement varies

►Fixed-Interval schedule (FI) In a fixed-interval (VI) schedule, the

interval of TIME is standard

►Variable-interval schedule (VI) In a variable-interval (VI) schedule, the

interval of time varies

►Fixed-response-duration (FRD) Student is reinforced following a completion of

a specified number of minutes (or seconds) of appropriate behavior

►Variable-response-duration schedule (VRD) In a variable-response-duration (VRD)

schedule, the amount of time required for reinforcement varies

What are the strengths and pitfalls of different schedules of

reinforcement?►You are teaching a child to add

numbers, how often will you deliver reinforcement?

►You are trying to increase the fluency of oral reading in a child, what schedule of reinforcement will you use?

►

Thinning schedules of reinforcement

►Making reinforcement gradually available less often or contingent on greater amounts of appropriate behavior Helps decrease dependence on artificial

reinforcers and helps learn to delay gratification

Beware of Ratio Strain►When the schedule has been thinned so quickly

that the ratio for correct responding and reinforcement is too large

►Ratio StrainRatio Strain

FR

VR

FIVI

FRDVRD

SPARSE

DENSE

T H I N N I N G

Continuous Reinforcement Schedule (CRS)

Intermittent Schedules of Reinforcement

Ratio Schedules

Interval Schedules

Response-Duration

Nonscheduled Delivery of Reinforcement

Naturally Occurring

Alberto & TroutmanApplied Behavior Analysis for Teachers, 7e

Copyright ©2006 by Pearson Education, Inc.Upper Saddle River, New Jersey 07458

All rights reserved.

Name that Schedule

► For every 3 correct responses on his match-to sample task, Joey gets a small spoonful of pudding

► Maria’s teacher has had her on a program for some time to decrease her talking out without permission. At this point, Maria is praised by the teacher when she raises her hand to get permission to speak following the 4th, 9th, 16th, 2nd, 12th, 8th, and 19th times this occurs.

► When the New York Yankees win 13 out of 13 games, on what kind of reinforcement schedule do they have their fans?

► Under a ________________________ schedule of reinforcement, the target behavior is reinforced on the average of a specified number of correct responses.

► Herman has difficulty staying on task. Initially, the teacher reinforced him at the end of every 2 minutes of continuous on task behavior. He was on a _______________ schedule.

► Later the teacher moved to a ________________ schedule in which Herman’s on task behavior was reinforced intermittently and (to him) unpredictably.

► Mr. Brown was reinforcing his pre-school class on a FR2 schedule for coming when he called them. He changed over the weekend to a VR10 schedule which resulted by the end of the day in his standing alone on the playground after calling the children. In trying to ____________________ the schedule, Mr. Brown went too quickly and the schedule suffered from ____________________________.

Practice QuestionsPractice Questions

►Primary reinforcers include all of the following EXCEPT:a. juiceb. stickersc. raisinsd. cookies

_____________ is a naturally occurring phenomenon.a. Time outb. Reinforcementc. Contingency contractingd. Response cost

►The schedule of reinforcement having a one-to-one ratio is:

a. Intermittentb. Variablec. Intervald. Continuous

Individuals are LEAST likely to satiate on:a. CRF schedulesb. FR schedulesc. FI schedulesd. VR schedules

Token Reinforcer -- Token Reinforcer -- used as a used as a transition between performance transition between performance

and natural reinforcement.and natural reinforcement.

►RequiresRequires tokentoken back-up reinforcerback-up reinforcer

►Must decideMust decide target behavior for tokentarget behavior for token cost of back-up reinforcercost of back-up reinforcer when is back-up reinforcer when is back-up reinforcer

accessibleaccessible

Considerations When Using Token Systems

►Start big with tokens ensure success the first few times gradually increase the amount of work

needed to obtain tokens

►Exchanging tokens initially -- often

►Consider Supply and Demand increase the number or requir4e a high

number of tokens for a highly desired item

ContingencyContingency ContractingContracting

►Written agreement in which a reward Written agreement in which a reward is provided contingent no completion is provided contingent no completion of a designated task or display of a of a designated task or display of a certain behaviorcertain behavior

Contingency Contracting

►Steps for ImplementationStep 1: Explain contractStep 2: Discuss contractStep 3: Decide on mutually agreeable tasks

Contingency Contracting Contingency Contracting (Cont.)(Cont.)

Step 4: Negotiate the reinforcement scheduleStep 5: Identify criteria for mastery of each

taskStep 6: Determine when reinforces will be

deliveredStep 7: Determine when to review contractStep 8: Read and sign contractStep 9: Make a copy for the student

(Kerr & Nelson;McIntyre)(Kerr & Nelson;McIntyre)

Basic Rules for the Use of Basic Rules for the Use of Reinforcers in ContractingReinforcers in Contracting

►Payoff should be immediate, Payoff should be immediate, contingent, and honestcontingent, and honest

►Reward small approximationsReward small approximations►Reward frequentlyReward frequently►Reward accomplishment rather than Reward accomplishment rather than

obedienceobedience

CONTRACT

The following is an agreement between ___(student)___ and __ (teacher)___. The terms of the agreement are as follows:The student will__________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________In return the teacher will ___________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________

The following conditions apply:1._____________________________________________________________________2._____________________________________________________________________3._____________________________________________________________________

This contract is rendered void if the student fails to achieve the designated goal. The contract will be reviewed on ___(date)___.

Student Signature_______________________________________Teacher Signature_______________________________________Witness Signature_______________________________________

Date____________________

I’ve got an Offer you Can’t Refuse!

If ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ by ________.Then _________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

_______________ ____________________Date Witness

_______________ ____________________

StudentStudent TeacherTeacher

_________’s a Good Citizen _________’s a Good Citizen ContractContract

I think I can ______________________________________I think I can _________________________________________________ by _____________________________________________ by __________________________________If I do, I will ______________________________________If I do, I will ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________My Teacher will help by ____________________________My Teacher will help by ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

__________________________ __________________________________ __________________StudentStudent Teacher Teacher Date Date