Behavior Reduction

Question 1

Behavior reduction

Prevent
Teach
Manage

Answer 1

Principles and strategies that are utilized to decrease the occurrence of maladaptive behaviors

●Identify components of a behavior reduction plan
●Describe common functions of behavior
●Implement interventions based on modification of antecedents
●Implement differential reinforcement procedures
●Implement extinction procedures

Question 2

Essential Components of a Behavior Reduction Plan

Answer 2

Must:
● Contain replacement behavior(s)
● Use positive reinforcement
- Positive reinforcement is used to increase the occurrences of the replacement behaviors.
- Punishment is used only if all other options do not work.

Must also include:
● Operational definitions of target behaviors.
● Antecedent modifications.
● Replacement behaviors.
● Consequence modifications.
● Persons responsible.
● Emergency measures.
● Function of behavior.

Should include:
● Interventions supported by evidence only
● Focus on socially significant behaviors
● Identification of ABA concepts to be used in efforts of reducing maladaptive behaviors
● Objective goals
● Measurement/data collection strategies
● Use of function-based interventions - (formulated from a Functional Behavior Assessment)
● Baseline levels of behaviors identified
● Direct assessments with graphs when applicable
● Antecedent strategies
● Consequence strategies
● Crisis plan

Question 3

Functions of behavior

Answer 3

● Attention
● Access to Tangibles
● Escape
● Automatic Reinforcement

Question 4

Modifying Antecedents

Answer 4

making changes in the environment prior to working on a specific skill or displaying a specific behavior.

● When looking at behavior reduction, modifying antecedents would involve making changes that will help decrease the likelihood that the behavior will occur.
● Prevent the problem behavior from happening rather than waiting until the problem behavior occurs and then trying to react

Implement interventions based on the modification of antecedents such as:
- motivating/establishing operations
- discriminative stimulus

Question 5

Motivating operations

Answer 5

Identifies the degree to which the learner will be reinforced by the consequences of their behavior.

For example, if a child is really hungry, they may be more likely to complete a task and be reinforced by the reward of a snack.

● Motivating operations can increase or decrease the power of a reinforcer in value.

Motivating operations can be thought of in terms of satiation and deprivation.

Question 6

Discriminative stimuli (SD)

Answer 6

a signal that reinforcement is available

Eg a cookie jar is an SD that cookies are available

Question 7

Establishing Operations (EO)
Abolishing Operation (AO)

Answer 7

EO - a motivating operation that increases how reinforcing something is.

AO - a motivating operation that decreases how reinforcing something is.

Question 8

What is the difference between MO and EO?

Answer 8

MO’s are environmental factors that impact how effective a reinforcer is.

MO’s can either be Establishing Operations (EO’s) or Abolishing Operations (AO’s).

An EO is an MO that increases how reinforcing something is, and an AO is an MO that decreases how reinforcing something is.

Question 9

3 categories of behavior reduction strategies aligned with the ABC model?

Answer 9

• Prevent – reduce need or motivation for the behavior
• Teach – equivalent replacement skill
• Manage – What to do when a problem behavior occurs

Question 10

Premack principle (grandma’s law)

Answer 10

You can’t have your pudding if you don’t eat your meat?
* High probability behavior to reinforce a low probability behavior
o You can have cake after you eat your broccoli

Reward contingent on completion of low-probability behavior

Question 11

High probability Instructional sequence

Get the ball rolling

Answer 11

High probability Instructional sequence = build momentum to encourage a particular response
Eg get high probability behavior rolling (hi five, fist bump, not get on the bus)