What is differential reinforcement of alternative behaviours (DRA)?
A procedure in which an undesirable behaviour is no longer reinforced (undergoes extinction) and a desirable alternative behaviour is reinforced.
- Undesirable behaviour will decrease and the desirable behaviour will increase
- Alternative behaviour is not necessarily related to undesirable one; may be quite arbitrary
What are the steps of how to use DRA (differential reinforcement of alternative behaviours)?
- Select alternative behaviours that:
- requires equal or less effort than the problem behaviour
- is already in the learner’s repertoire, if possible
- is likely to be reinforced in the learner’s natural environment - Select reinforcement traits
- is potent; use same reinforcer that maintains the problem behaviour, if possible
- can be delivered immediately and consistently; then switch from continuous to intermittent schedule of reinforcement (thinning)
What is differential reinforcement of incompatible behaviour (DRI)?
A procedure in which an undesirable behaviour is extinguished, and a behaviour that is impossible to do at the same time as the undesirable behaviour is reinforced.
What is functional communication training (FCT)?
Subtype of DRA, in which the alternative behaviours is a communication response. Also called “differential reinforcement of communication”, or DRC. Can also be considered a subtype called reinforcement of functionally equivalent behaviour: a different acceptable behaviour receives the same consequences as an undesirable behaviour.
What is differential reinforcement of other behaviour (DRO)?
A procedure in which an undesirable behaviour undergoes extinction, and a reinforcer is delivered after a period of time in which the behaviour does not occur.
Also called differential reinforcement of zero responding, or differential reinforcement of the omission of behaviour).
What is the whole-interval schedule of DRO?
Reinforcer delivered if problem behaviour is absent during the entire interval.
What is the momentary schedule of DRO?
Reinforcer delivered if problem behaviour is absent at the end of the interval.
- Time periods may be fixed or variable
- Can also be based on permanent-product data
What are the steps on how to use DRO?
- Perform functional assessment to determine the reinforcer for problem behaviour.
- Choose reinforcement for DRO
- Choose length of initial DRO time interval (based on baseline data, in general the more frequent the behaviour the shorter the interval)
- Extinguish problem behaviour; reinforce omission intervals
- If problem behaviour occurs before the end of the interval (whole-interval DRO), reset time interval
- Increase the interval length
What are some points to consider with DRO?
- Extinction may lead to extinction-induced aggression which is also undesirable
- For learners with a limited behavioural repertoire, DRO can create a “behavioural vacuum” which may end up being filled with the undesirable target behaviour
- DRA or DRI may be better suited to these situations
What is differential reinforcement of low rates of responding (DRL)?
A procedure in which a lower rates of a behaviour is reinforced to decrease the rate of that behaviour; extinction applied when the rate of behaviour exceeds criterion for reinforcement
Why is DRL (differential reinforcement of low rates of resopnding used?
Used when goal is to reduce but not eliminate the behaviour. It can be applied to sleeping, eating speed, and occasional attention seeking behaviour.
What is full-session DRL?
Reinforcer delivered if target behaviour occur fewer than a certain number of times during a session. Used to decrease (but not eliminate) behaviour.
What is spaced-responding DRL?
Reinforcer delivered if a certain amount of time has elapsed since last target behaviour. Used to pace behaviour spaced by a minimum length of time.
What is interval DRL?
Session is divided into equal time intervals; reinforcer delivered if target behaviour occurred no more than once during each interval. Used to pace behaviour spaced by an average length of time.
What is the difference between a DRL and FI schedule?
In a spaced-responding DRL X”, a reinforcer is delivered after a response if at least X amount of time has elapsed since the previous response.
In FI X”, a reinforcer is delivered after a response if at least X amount of time has elapsed since the previous reinforcer was delivered.
What are the steps of how to use DRL?
- Decide whether DRL is appropriate: behaviour should be reduced but not eliminated
- Determine desired rate of behaviour
- Choose between full-session or spaced-responding DRL
- Tell client the criterion for reinforcement
- Provide client with feedback/data on their behaviour
