Unit 5 Flashcards
Using Extinction and Punishment: Cautionary Notes
- Extinction & punishment are reductive procedures (consequence-based manipulations used to reduce bx); these should not be used in isolation
- Other interventions should be tried b4 using punishment
- Safety must be a priority
Focus of ABA Interventions
- When writing behavioral programs targeting Bx excesses, Use:
- Antecedent interventions to avoid/ abate prob Bx
- Reinforcement procedures for appropriate alternatives
Fair Pair Rule
- When a response is targeted for reduction, 1 or more replacement responses must be targeted for acquisition
- Can’t just target bx for reduction
- Must also teach something to replace/ displace prob bx
Safety Plans
- Steps to reduce risks to the individual & the Env around them during assessment
- Typically, environmental modifications
- Designed during the functional assessing process
Extinction
- The discontinuation of reinforcement for a previously reinforced response which results in a decrease in a dimension of that behavior
- Requires a reinforcement history
Extinction is NOT
- Any decrease in responding regardless of the procedure used
- Decrease in responding due to:
- Lack of opportunity to emit the response
- The passage of time
- Satiation
Which best describes operant extinction?
-A response no longer results in the reinforcement it previously produced; as a result the response occurs less often
Extinction as a Behavioral Process
A decline in the rate of Bx as a result of the discontinuation os a previously reinforcing consequence
Extinction as a procedure
Discontinuation of a reinforcement for a previously reinforced response
What is the mechanism underlying the effectiveness of extinction?
-Discontinuation the contingency btw Bx and consequence
The contingency broken during extinction is one between:
A response & the reinforcing consequence
Implementing extinction as a procedure is dependent upon identifying the maintaining consequence of the response.
a. True
b. False
a. True
Extinction for behavior maintained by positive reinforcement involves withholding the:
-Appetitive stimulus
What would extinction for a behavior maintained by positive reinforcement involve?
Withholding a preferred item contingent on inappropriate bx
Extinction for a behavior maintained by negative reinforcement involves keeping an aversive stimulus present even after a response occurs.
a. True
b. False
a. True
Extinction Procedure Vs. Process
Procedure: How we do it
- Depends on the function of the Bx
- Process: What happens to bx as a result of a new contingency
- Reduction in the response rate
More Non-e.g. of Extinction
- Staff block Kyle from punching his head; punching head decreases
- Susie in the Posey mitts; stops picking her scabs
- Remember: Behavior must be able to occur & not contact Rx for contingency to break & extinction to occur
A teacher continues to present a worksheet following an instance of spitting that has resulted in escape from the worksheet in the past. Spitting then decreases. What is this?
-Extinction for SR-
The BCBA will remove a toy any time that her client engages in aggression that has resulted in access to the toy in the past. Aggression then decreases. What is this?
-An Sp- contingency
Oda will engage in tantrums to escape difficult task demands. Her teacher only presents easy tasks. Tantrums then decrease. What is this?
-An AO for Sr-
A contingency can only be said to be broken through extinction if the individual is ______ to engage in the response and the reinforcing consequence ______ follow.
-Able; Does Not
Learning to Implement Extinction:
A Warning
*The steps or procedures being described do NOT constitute prescription of treatment
Before Implementing Extinction
- Must conduct a thorough functional assessment
- Must ensure the Environment will support the intervention
A Note on Differential Reinforcement
- Don’t forget about the Fair Pair Rule
- Since intermittent reinforcement is likely, better make sure we are teaching an appropriate response
Note on The Matching Law
- Allocation of responding to the relative rates of reinforcement
- Be sure higher quality reinforcement follows appropriate responses on thicker schedule of reinforcement than target problem Bx
The matching law states that organisms match relative rates of behavior to relative rates of:
-Reinforcement
Since it is not likely that the natural environment will support extinction for every response, it is important to reinforce appropriate behaviors on a:
a. Lean schedule
b. Dense schedule
b. Dense schedule
Extinction for Behavior Maintained by Attention: Considerations
- Must identify all forms if attention that will function as a reinforcer
- Must be able to withhold all forms of attention that will function as a reinforcer
Extinction for Behavior Maintained by Attention: Considerations (Con..t)
- Must adequately prepare family &/ or staff to correctly implement the procedures
- Intermittent Rx is likely to occur
Extinction for Behavior Maintained by Attention: Basic Procedures
- Withhold all forms of attention when prob Bx occur
- Wait for period of “calm”, defined as the absence of problem, bx before engaging with individual
- Deliver attention for appropriate responses
Extinction for Behavior Maintained by items/ Activities: Considerations
- Must identify all forms of tangible items &/or activities that are functioning as Rx
- Must be able to withhold all forms of tangible items &/ or activities that are functioning as Rx
- Don’t offer alternatives after prob bx
- Don’t offer the original denied option in exchange for de-escalation of bx
Extinction for Behavior Maintained by Items/ Activities: Procedures
- Withhold all forms of access to items &/ or activities when prob bxs occur
- Wait for period of “calm,” defined as the absence of prob bx before engaging with individual
- Deliver items &/ or activities for appropriate responses
When withholding a preferred item following problem behavior it is important to:
-Withhold access to all items and activities
Extinction for Behavior Maintained by Escape: Procedures
- Escape Extinction: The non-removal of an aversive stimulus or condition (e.g. an academic task) contingent on bx
- Can include guiding the individual through the task if appropriate
- Can involve waiting the individual out until the task is completed
Extinction for Behavior Maintained by Avoidance: Procedures
- Reflexive conditioned establishing operation (CEO-R) for Sr-. Correlated with a worsening condition; evokes bx which results in its own termination
- When implementing extinction, that stimulus persists following the response
Extinction for Behavior Maintained by Escape/ Avoidance: Considerations
- Must identify all forms of escape that will function as Rx
- Must be able to withhold all forms of escape that will function as Rx
- Don’t offer alternatives after problem bxs
List at least two ways escape extinction can be carried out:
“Escape extinction can be carried out by guiding the individual through the task, or by not removing the aversive stimulus contingent on behavior” or, “By waiting until the individual completes the task”
When a behavior no longer results in the removal of an aversive stimulus, which procedure is being implemented?
-Escape Extinction
The Issue of “Automatic”
- Means reinforcement occurs without social mediation
- May sometimes be applied loosely to bxs with a sensory component
- Often a default explanation
The Issue of “Automatic”
Con…t
- What is the actual reinforcer?
- Does the response add something or remove something to/ from the individual’s env?
- Vollmer’s proposed intervention (cooper et al., 2020)
Extinction for Behavior Maintained by “Sensory” Effects: Considerations
- Requires more sophisticated analysis
- Maybe extremely difficult to manage the actual maintaining variables
Extinction Vs. Response Prevention
- Extinction involves the discontinuation of Rx following the response
- Breaks the contingent relation btw response & Rx
- The response needs to be able to occur for extinction to occur
Sensory extinction involves allowing the individual to satiate by engaging in the target behavior continuously.
a. True
b. False
B. False
Josefine’s therapist will hold down her hands so that she cannot hit her head. Is this an example of extinction?
a. Yes
b. No
b. NO
Oline’s lip biting is maintained by sensory stimulation so her dad puts numbing gel on her lips to reduce the sensation she gets from biting. Is this an example of extinction?
a. Yes
b. No
a. Yes
A Note on Prepping Caregivers
- Can the caregivers do it?
- Do the caregivers want to do it?
- Will the environment support it?
A Moment for Precision on Terms
- Cooper et al. (2020): The extinction burst in an immediate Increase in The Rate of the response
- Pierce & Cheney (2017): When extinction is started, operant Bx tends to increase in frequency
A Moment for Precision on Terms (Con..t)
- Cooper et al. (2020: Includes response variation & initial increases in response magnitude as side effects
- Separate from extinction burst
- Pierce & Cheney (2017): In addition to extinction bursts, operant bx becomes increasingly variable
Unwanted Effects of Extinction
- Extinction burst
- Increase in magnitude
- Response variation
- Extinction-induced aggression
- Emotional responses
- Spontaneous recovery
- Resurgence
The most precise use of the term “extinction burst” refers to not only an increase in rate of a behavior following extinction, but also response variation.
a. True
b. False
b. False
Extinction Burst
- Immediate, but temporary increase in the rate of responding
- How long the “Burst” lasts & how high the rates get can be tied to the individual history of Rx
Increase in Response Magnitude
-Increases in the “intensity” of a response following extinction
Increase in Response Magnitude E.g.
- Individual who screams may start to scream at louder volumes
- Individual who taps shoulder may start to tap harder and harder
Petra presses the button to call the elevator at her apartment complex. The button does not illuminate as it usually does, so Petra pushes it again a little harder. What is this?
a. Extinction burst
b. Increase in magnitude
b. Increase in magnitude
Petra presses the button to call the elevator at her apartment complex. The button does not illuminate as it usually does, so Petra pushes it again a few more times. What is this?
a. Extinction burst
b. Increase in magnitude
a. Extinction Burst
Extinction-Induced Response Variation
- The emergence of new or novel responses
- Some response variations will be problematic, some maybe appropriate
Extinction-Induced Response Variation E.g.
- Timothy & the TV remote:
- Press the “Last” button
- Press the actual channel #
- Bang the remote against his hand
- Bang the remote against the table
- “Roll” the batteries
- Replace the batteries
Extinction-Induced Aggression
*The appearance of bxs such as hitting, biting, pushing &/ or damage to property as a result of exposure to extinction
Extinction-Induced Aggression E.g.
- Petra & the pencil
- After several failed attempts to get out of a less preferred task, what’s left?
- Try stabbing the teacher with the pencil
Emotional Response
-Responses such as crying and/ or apologizing e.g. “Why do you hate me so much?”
Jenna would often bite to get adult attention. Her mother recently began implementing extinction. As a result, Jenna began crying and scratching her mother. Select all unwanted effects that were demonstrated in this scenario:
- Extinction-induced response variation
- Extinction-induced aggression
Anahera would often swipe materials off her desk to escape task demands. Following escape extinction, Anahera began to flail her hands in the air and smack her teacher. Select all unwanted effects that were demonstrated in this scenario:
- Extinction-induced response variation
- Extinction-induced aggression
When Nikau goes to select an item from the vending machine at work, it does not turn on. He presses all of the buttons on the machine and then opens and closes the bottom flap a few times. Select all unwanted effects that were demonstrated in this scenario:
-Extinction-induced response variation
Spontaneous Recovery
-The reappearance of a Behavior after it decreased following the discontinuation of the response-reinforcer contingency
Resurgence
The reappearance of a bx that was decreased or stopped following the withholding of the reinforcer, when a more recent reinforced bx is placed on extinction
Behavioral Contrast
- A shift in response rate on an unchanged component of a multiple schedule due to a change in the second component
- Changes in rates of responding in one setting following the change in some parameter of reinforcement or punishment in another setting
Daliah texts her friend multiple times for a week. Her friend doesn’t respond back, so Daliah stops texting them for a month. One day, Daliah sends this friend one more text. What is this?
a. Resurgence
b. Spontaneous recovery
b. Spontaneous recovery
Tamati likes to make inappropriate jokes in front of his wife to see how she reacts. She recently stopped reacting to his jokes, which made Tamati stop telling them. Tamati then started to pull pranks on his wife which used to upset her. What is this?
a. Resurgence
b. Spontaneous recovery
a. Resurgence
Reappearance of a behavior after it decreases following extinction
Spontaneous recovery
Immediate, temporary increase in rate of responding
Extinction burst
Responses such as crying or an increased heart rate
Emotional responding
Following extinction of an initial response, a replacement behavior is also placed on extinction and the initial response returns
Resurgence
The emergence of new or novel responses following extinction
Response variation
The appearance of responses such as hitting, biting, and/or property destruction following extinction
Extinction-induced aggression
Increase in the intensity of a response following extinction
Increase in response magnitude
Mitigating the Unwanted Effects of Extinction
- Combine extinction with other procedures (e.g. DRA)
- Abate prob bx by manipulating MOs
- Consider moving to a continuous schedule of RX before implementing extinction
Resistance to Extinction
- Refers to the continued responding after the discontinuation of Rx for a given response
- Can be measured several different ways
- Can be a result of the schedules of Rx in place prior to implementing the procedure
Partial Reinforcement Extinction
Effect (PREE)
- Posits that intermittent schedules of Rx (partial schedules) are more resistant to extinction when compared to continuous schedules
- Rationale: Under an intermittent schedule, the organism already has a history of every response NOT producing the reinforcer
Research on the Partial Reinforcement Extinction Effect
- There have been mixed results in recent literature
- There are potential factors that may be producing these mixed results
- Still recommended to move from an intermittent schedule to continuous b4 implementing extinction
Behavior that shows resistance to extinction will:
a. Continue to occur
b. Increase over time
c. Cease altogether
d. Decrease more quickly
a. Continue to occur
According to the partial reinforcement extinction effect, which schedules of reinforcement are most likely to be resistant to extinction?
a. FR1
b. VR15
c. FR20