Is used to decrease the probability of a behavior occurring in the future?

Reinforcement is a principle of Applied Behavior Analysis that is used in nearly all behavior change procedures within the 3 term contingency (Antecedent  & Behavior - Consequence). When using reinforcement, we see an actual increase in the future probability of that behavior occurring again. This could mean immediately in the future (3 seconds) or later in the future (in 10 minutes, in 2 hours, in 10 days, etc.) There are two types of reinforcement: positive reinforcement and negative reinforcement. Although "negative" usually has a "bad" connotation, you will see that it actually doesn't in ABA. Below, the two are defined.

1) Positive Reinforcement: A behavior occurs. A stimulus is presented immediately following the behavior. The probability of that behavior occurring again in the future increases.

• Todd finishes his multiplication timed test and afterwards he gets a piece of gum.
• George sits for 5 minutes appropriately in circle time and earns blowing bubbles.

2) Negative Reinforcement: A behavior occurs. A stimulus is removed immediately following the behavior. The probability of that behavior occurring again in the future increases.

• When Todd first started working on his multiplication timed tests, there were too many problems to complete. After every 5 problems he completed, 1 problem was erased.
• When Susie's teacher tells her it is time for circle time, she tantrums on the floor. Her teacher removes demands and Susie does not participate in circle time.

It is important to note that reinforcement only occurs when the behavior actually increases. Just because we intend or mean for a behavior to increase, doesn't mean that reinforcement has occurred. It only occurs when the rate of behavior actually goes up.

We must also keep in mind that what we think is going to work for a student as a reinforcer, may not work. It is not what we think should work, it is what actually works. An object, activity, or any other stimulus that served as a reinforcer today may not serve the same function tomorrow.

What effects reinforcer effectiveness?

We must remember 4 different variables that effect reinforcer effectiveness. They are: deprivation/satiation, immediacy, size, and contingency.

1) Deprivation/Satiation: Often referred to as not enough or too much of a good thing!

Deprivation: Not having access to something that is highly desirable. Often this is used to increase the value of an item/activity to someone.

Example:  

• I haven't eaten pizza in a long time, because I've been on a diet. Because I haven't eaten any, I am deprived, therefore, I want pizza!

Satiation: This is the opposite of deprivation. Satiation refers to having too much. If the same reinforcer is used over and over again, it will lose it's reinforcing value.

Example:  

• If you ate pizza for lunch today and dinner tonight and tomorrow your co-worker suggests eating a pizza buffet for lunch, you may shout, "No way!" You are satiated with pizza.

2) Immediacy: The reinforcer must be delivered as quickly as possible following the target behavior that we are looking to increase on newly targeted skills. The longer the amount of time that lapses between the behavior we want to see increase and the time the reinforcer is delivered, the less valuable the reinforcer will be.

Example:

• If Riley spontaneously raises her hand to answer a question while sitting in class (a new goal we have targeted) and we don't respond to this until 10 minutes have passed, we have likely lost most of the reinforcing value of whatever it is we are delivering for that target behavior. We are now reinforcing whatever Riley is doing, 10 minutes later.

It is also important to realize that over time we need to thin out our levels of reinforcement. After all, we can't expect to go to work and get a pay check after the end of each hour we are working. So, it is important that we also teach individuals how to delay receiving their reinforcer through the use of token economy reinforcement systems. Through using an individually designed reinforcement system, we are able to reinforce after so many behaviors, or so much time has elapsed and gradually increase the number of behaviors, or time, and eventually fade the system out altogether.

3) Size: This refers to how much of the reinforcer you get/are giving.

Example: 

• If Mike reads 1 sight word card, and he earns a king size candy bar, we will satiate him and have to look for new reinforcers. Maybe a better way to reinforce would be a bite size candy bar after reading 20 sight word cards or finishing reading class.

4) Contingency: Reinforcement delivery must be contingent, meaning, access to a reinforcer only occurs after the target behavior has been demonstrated.

When we want to reinforce behavior as part of behavior management, we do so by using Differential Reinforcement Procedures. Below are some procedures we use.

DRI: Reinforcing an incompatible behavior: When using this strategy, we are reinforcing behavior that is not able to be demonstrated (physically) along with the target behavior, that we are teaching and reinforcing.

Example:

• Engaging in self stimulatory behavior with hands/fingers is not able to be done physically when ones hands are in their pants pocket. When using this strategy, we would teach and reinforce hands in pants pocket.

DRH: Reinforcing high rates of behavior: This type of schedule of reinforcement is reinforcing high frequencies of the behavior being emitted. Using this type of schedule, reinforcement is delivered after a certain number of target behaviors are emitted within a set amount of time. This type of procedure is used often with fluency training. We use this type of procedure when the behavior is already occurring, we just want it to occur more frequently.

Example:

• Jonathan will earn his chosen reinforcer after he finishes his spelling test correctly within the allotted time frame for spelling tests.

DRA: Reinforcing an alternative behavior: This schedule of reinforcement gives reinforcement to behavior that is an alternative to the target behavior. It is then not given when the target behavior is displayed.

Example:

• If the target behavior is blurting out in class, we may reinforce appropriate working on task, having a quiet mouth, raising hand to speak, etc.

Example:

• If Kimberly blurts out in class 5 times in 5 minutes (on average), we may reinforce 4 blurt outs in 5 minutes, and then 3 blurt outs, and continue to fade as success is demonstrated.

DRO: Reinforcing other behavior (or omission training, or zero rates of responding): Using this procedure, reinforcement is delivered in the absence of the problem behavior. There are different ways to use this procedure, including reinforcing through certain intervals of time without the behavior or reinforcing the behavior if it is not occurring at a specified moment in time.

Example:

• Jay gets reinforced for keeping his hands and feet to himself, all day long and across all environments. A timer goes off in random intervals from 1 minute to 10 minutes throughout the day, but he does not know when it will. When the timer goes off, if Jay's hands and feet are to himself, he earns a reinforcer.

DRL: reinforcing low rates of behavior: This procedure is used when reduction of the behavior is the objective, not elimination. In other words, we want to keep the behavior in the individual's repertoire, we just want it to be reduced somewhat. Reinforcement will only be delivered if the behavior has not been emitted within a certain period of time, or inter-response interval (the amount of time from the end of one behavior, until the beginning of the next).

What decreases the probability of a response?

What decreases the probability of a behavior recurring?

Which of the following decreases a behavior?

Which procedure is decreased a behaviour or makes it less likely to occur?