Indirect ways of decelerating an undesirable behavior

Differential reinforcement of incompatible behavior (DRI)

DRI is a technique used to reduce the frequency of some undesirable behavior.

In this technique, reinforcement is contingent on a behavior that is physically incompatible with the problem behavior.

The logic behind this is that one cannot engage in these two behaviors at the same time. So, to the extent that the subject engages in the new behavior, he is not engaging in the old undesirable behavior.

For example, if a teacher wanted to eliminate running-around-the-room by a hyperactive boy, she might reinforce which of the following behaviors?
Paying attention to the teacher.
Answering the teacher’s questions.
Sitting at his desk completing schoolwork.

Let’s try a few more examples:

What would be incompatible with driving after drinking? (Keep the Dead-Man rule in mind.)
Not driving after drinking.
Taking a taxi or asking a friend to drive.
Both of the above

Substitute behavior

Is the behavior of “asking the teacher for help” incompatible with the undesirable behavior “disrupts”?
yes
no

Differential reinforcement of competing behaviors (also know as DRA, differential reinforcement of alternative behavior)

If one cannot find an incompatible behavior, one might find a competing behavior that reduces, but does not eliminate, the opportunity to engage in the undesirable behavior.

Notice that Jimmy could disrupt and ask the teacher for help at the same time. Therefore, these two behaviors are not incompatible. However, the alternative behavior (asking for help) competes with and reduces disruptive behavior.

Notice that in this case, the reinforcer for disrupting and for asking the teacher for help is the same.

In the case of the driving after drinking example used to illustrate DRI, was the incompatible behavior reinforced by the same reinforcer?
yes
no

While using the same reinforcer for the competing behavior in the DRI and DRA techniques is not a necessity, would it make both techniques more effective?
yes
no

Differential reinforcement of other behavior

When reducing an undesirable behavior by reinforcing another behavior, it is preferable that this other behavior be incompatible with or at least compete with the undesirable behavior.

If a substitute behavior cannot be found, one might need to reinforce any other behavior to reduce the maladaptive behavior.

In DRO, the client receives occasional reinforcement if he or she is performing a behavior other than the specified maladaptive response.

Specifically, in DRO a reinforcer is presented after a fixed interval of time if the response of interest has not occurred during that interval. (The interval is usually timed from the last reinforcement or the last response of interest, whichever occurred last.)

For example, Gerry was a 9-yr-old boy of normal intelligence who scratched his skin so much that open sores were produced.

He was put on a DRO 2 minutes schedule in which he was reinforced only if he didn’t scratch during that 2 minute time period. If he scratched during this period, he didn’t get reinforced and the timing began again.

Once Gerry reliably does not scratch for 2 minutes, what is the next step?
Begin using intermittent reinforcement to produce resistance to extinction.
Gradually change tangible reinforcers for the “other” behavior to social reinforcers which can be maintained outside of the treatment situation.
Gradually increase the DRO interval to longer periods.

Of all the above strategies, which would be the optimal strategy for decelerating an undesirable behavior?
differential reinforcement of incompatible behavior
differential reinforcement of competing behavior
differential reinforcement of other behavior

Differential reinforcement of low response rates (DRL)

In DRL, the reinforcer is delivered when the rate of the problem behavior is decreased to a criterion level.

DRL is used either when a low rate of the problem behavior can be tolerated or when the behavior is only a problem because of its high rate.

You don’t reinforce the absence of some behavior, but rather reinforce a lower rate of the problem behavior.

Two variations of DRL occur:

Full-session DRL

Reinforcement is delivered if fewer than a specified number of responses occurs in a period of time.

Spaced-responding DRL

In spaced-responding DRL, there must be a specified amount of time between responses for the reinforcer to be delivered. In this case, the objective is to pace the response.

A 2nd grade teacher may have a problem with a student who raises his hand too frequently. It’s good for a student to raise his hand, but in this case there is too much of a good thing. She decides that she will call on this student only if he raises his hand at least 15 minutes after the last time he has raised his hand. If he raises his hand too early, he will have to wait an additional 15 minutes. Which DRL technique is this?
Full-session
Spaced-responding

Another elementary teacher may have problems with a student talking in class without permission. She tells the student that if he does this fewer than 5 times during a class period, he can receive two pieces of candy at the end of the class. Which DRL technique is this?
Full-session
Spaced-responding

A parent says to her child: “Each day you complain fewer than 2 times when I ask you to do something, I’ll let you stay up 1/2 hour later.” Which DRL technique is this?
Full-session
Spaced-responding

Which would be the least desirable differential reinforcement procedure?
differential reinforcement of incompatible behavior
differential reinforcement of competing behavior
differential reinforcement of other behavior
differential reinforcement of low response rates

Test your understanding

Anita pulled her hair so much that she was creating bald spots. A contingency was set up whereby if Anita did not pull her hair for 5 minutes, she was reinforced. The interval was eventually extended to 40 minutes. This is _______.
DRI
DRO
DRL

All of the techniques that decelerate behavior indirectly have ______________ in common.
the use of aversive stimuli
the use of differential reinforcement
the substitution of incompatible behavior for the undesired behavior
the extinction of undesired behavior

Nanette must deal with a family that is too noisy, chaotic, and argumentative. Her way of dealing with this is usually to run out of the room. She decides to adopt a different approach. Instead of leaving, she decides to remain and ask them to be quieter and to take turns speaking. This is an example of ______________.
DRO
Differential reinforcement of competing behavior
DRL
DRI

A young man suffering from Tourette’s syndrome was reinforced if he shouted out less than 3 times in a 60-minute period. This is an example of ______________.
DRO
full-session DRL
spaced-responding DRL

An incompatible behavior for daydreaming is ___________
listening to a relaxation tape of water in a waterfall.
looking at the waterfall.
painting a picture of the waterfall.

A child continuously tells her mother that she is bored and asks for something to do. The mother tells her daughter that she will give her something to do only if the daughter waits at least 10 minutes after the previous time she asked for something to do. What is this?
full-session DRL
DRO
DRI
spaced-responding DRL

Token economy

A few definitions first:

A generalized learned reinforcer is a conditioned reinforcer that has been paired with a variety of other reinforcers.

A token reinforcer is a symbolic item that has value for what it can be exchanged for.

A token economy is defined as a system in which a group of individuals can earn tokens for a variety of desirable behaviors, and can exchange tokens for a variety of backup reinforcers.

Are token reinforcers generalized learned reinforcers?
yes
no

The pioneering work on token economies was done by Ayllon and Azrin (1965) with psychotic patients living in a psychiatric hospital. These were women with long-term problems in social and verbal behavior.

The setup was that these patients could earn small metal tokens by making desirable responses, such as cleaning floors, sorting laundry, self-grooming, leading guided tours, serving meals, helping the nurses, etc.

What backup reinforcers could they spend these tokens on? They could use them to pay for movies, exclusive use of a radio or television set, consumables (extra clothing, reading and writing materials, grooming accessories), privileges (a particular bedroom with choice of roommate, choice of eating groups, extra time with a member of the staff, room dividers, a chair they didn’t have to share, etc.). These were only a few of the things they could exchange their tokens for and like money, each cost varying numbers of tokens.

Would it be possible or practical to reinforce desirable behaviors immediately after they occur with these backup reinforcers?
yes
no

Token economies can be set up so that individuals not only can earn tokens for performing desirable behaviors, but also can lose tokens for performing maladaptive behaviors.

Furthermore, the designer can use a smaller or larger variety of backup reinforcers.

Why would more backup reinforcers be preferable to fewer backup reinforcers?
If the token economy is being used for a group of individuals, a greater variety of backup reinforcers makes it more likely that each individual will find one or several of these reinforcing.
With a greater variety of backup reinforcers, it is less likely that any individual will be tired of or satiated on all of the reinforcers at any given time.
Both of the above

What are the major advantages of a token economy?
Tokens can be given immediately after the performance of a desirable behavior, whereas backup reinforcers cannot.
As generalized conditioned reinforcers, they are not dependent upon a particular motivational state of the client to be effective.
Both of the above.

Token economies are typically used for groups. However, could the advantages of a token economy be applied for use on a single individual, such as by a parent hoping to get her child to perform a variety of household tasks?
yes
no

In the space below, please write any comments or questions about the tutorial.