Unit 5 Flashcards
Reinforcement history a. Define
influence of paste vents on current behavior qExamples: §Behavior that persists in particular contexts during extinction §Responding that occurs at unnecessarily high or low rates §Rule-governed behavior that doesn’t match current contingencies qA central tenet of behavior analysis (we don’t start with a blank slate every day
Why Is Reinforcement History Important?
Your clients and research participants will have existing reinforcement histories. q Those histories may influence responding during your assessments and interventions, resulting in: § Responding in ways that you did not predict § Unsuccessful treatment attempts § Less rapid changes in responding than predicted qHistory effects can be exacerbated in certain conditions. qHistorical variables can pose threats to the internal validity of experiments.
q Which of the following describes the term “reinforcement history”?
Influence of past events on current behavior
Describe several situations for which consideration would be appropriate when using: i. FI schedules
Historically, fixed interval (FI) schedules used as target schedules q FI schedules may be particularly sensitive to reinforcement history effects Naturally occurring schedules maintaining behavior may share features with FI schedules qFI schedules may be used for acquisition and maintenance of appropriate behavior
Reinforcement History- Implications for Application
Reinforcement history should be considered when different treatment effects are observed across participants or across replications qReinforcement history could be used to improve intervention outcomes
Implications for Application: History in Intervention
Interval schedules may be easier to implement than ratio schedules q Could manipulate rate on interval schedules by arranging for particular histories q Permit shifts to interval schedules after establishing histories with DRA on ratio schedules – may create bias toward appropriate behavior
Implications for Application: Residential Treatment
qProblem behavior reinforced on a DRH-like schedule in the home qChild experiences treatment in a residential setting qTreatment implemented in home may result in high response rates • Particularly, if a relatively “weak” schedule used in treatment • Even if treatment is implemented with high integrity
Applied behavior analysts frequently study reinforcement history as a subject in its own right.
b. False
. Time-based schedules
There may be some conditions under which time-based schedules (NCR) are not effective due to reinforcement history. q Intermittent FR histories could interfere with suppressive effects of time-based schedules. q May be able to arrange “baseline” contingencies to enhance the efficacy of time-based schedules. q Clinicians should make reinforcement rate different between response-dependent baseline and time-based schedules if seeking response suppression.
Alleman & Zeiler (1974) found that response rates during fixed-time schedules were:
High if the pigeons had ever experienced FR
Which of the following might a clinician consider doing if he wanted to maintain responding during response-independent (FT) reinforcement?
Yoke (equate) the FT schedule to the obtained response-dependent reinforcement rate
History Effects in Application: High-P Sequences
High-p = high probability q Refers to requests that are likely to result in compliance from client q Involve repeated presentation of “high-p” requests, with a few interspersed “low-p” requests q Reinforcement for compliance (typically, FR1) q Substantially increase compliance with low-p requests as a function of events in the client’s immediate history q But, effects are short-lived
Becky, a BCBA, wants to use a high-p procedure in a pre-school classroom to improve compliance with a number-identification task. She tells her client to draw a picture, a high-p request. After about 5 minutes of drawing, she tells the client to stand up (another high-p request)– he stands up. She gathers her teaching materials for about 30s, then asks the client to identify a number. Is the client likely to comply?
No
a. Define operant extinction
q Operant conditioning deals with voluntary responses that are part of contingencies q Operant responses increase in rate as a result of reinforcement q Extinction: § Involves no longer providing the reinforcer dependent on the response § Results in the decreased response rates (breaking the contingency)
Differentiate between respondent and operant extinction
Similarities
Reduces frequency of responding § As a result of disrupting events that occurred contiguously in the environment
Differences
The type of response that is disrupted § The type of disruption that occurs
Gretchen wants to increase the value of praise for a young child with autism, so she repeatedly pairs praise with an edible item that is a known reinforcer.
What type of conditioning procedure is Gretchen using?
Respondent
Differentiate between extinction and other behavior-reduction procedures
. Differentiate between the process and procedures of extinction
Comparing Extinction to Punishment qAlike: § Reduces rate of responding qDifferent: § Doesn’t involve response-dependent stimulus change
Process versus Procedure of Extinction
Process: §
Behavioral mechanism §
Evident in reduction of response rate following break in response-reinforcer relation q
Procedure: §
Extinction will look very different procedurally depending on the function of behavior
§ Remember: the procedure MUST be linked to function § Regardless, will involve no dependency between response and reinforcer
Describe how extinction can be used in combination with reinforcement
Extinction should be used in combination with reinforcement procedures to ensure that you are building a replacement response.
q Extinction forms the backbone of differential reinforcement procedures.
§ But, can be difficult for caregivers to consistently implement § Ensure contingencies favor prosocial
q Shortly thereafter, Gretchen uses praise as a consequence for correct responding in her discrete-trial sessions. She no longer uses edible items. What is likely to happen?
Both respondent and operant extinction
Which of the following is MOST important when implementing operant extinction to reduce behavior?
Matching the extinction procedure to the behavioral function
qImplementing extinction a. Identify when intervention effects are likely due to extinction
Describe reasons other than extinction that a differential reinforcement intervention might work
qExtinction isn’t just about response reduction! qExtinction is known to generate several different kinds of behavior.
Describe response-generating effects of extinction i. List four ii. Describe ways to plan for each negative side effect
These response-generative effects are typically considered side effects of extinction. qThey include: § Aggression § Emotional outbursts § Response variation § Treatment relapse § Also known as “extinction bursts”
The graph below shows data from baseline and a DRA intervention for a client with a behavioral disorder. Is the reduction in screaming due to extinction?
No, unlikely
Including extinction and reinforcement of an alternative behavior in a treatment package will reduce the probability of an extinction burst
. True
Planning for Extinction Bursts
q Including other treatment procedures with extinction may reduce the likelihood of bursting.
q Gradually thin the schedule to reduce the likelihood of extinction bursts later in treatment.
q Warn caregivers that behavior “often gets worse before it gets better.”
q Use role-play and coaching to train parents to appropriately implement procedures that include extinction to improve initial treatment integrity.
Extinction-Induced Aggression
Likely to be a respondent behavior that is elicited by the extinction situation qProbably not immediately sensitive to consequences qBUT – plan on how not to reinforce it!
Planning for Aggression
qInclude procedures for how to react to aggression if it occurs qBe sure that the procedures are doable for that client
Which of the following is least likely to result from the use of an extinction procedure?
Response acquisition
Response Variation
May include responses not previously observed q Responses may be appropriate or inappropriate q Form the basis for shaping new behavior q Includes: § Variations on the targeted topography § Response-class hierarchies
Response-Class Hierarchies
Response class = “a group of responses varying in topography, all of which have the same effect on the environment” (Cooper et al., 2007, p. 703). q Hierarchy = members of a response class that occur in a consistent sequence when a response fails to be effective q Built through reinforcement history with common functional reinforcer
Response class =
“a group of responses varying in topography, all of which have the same effect on the environment” (Cooper et al., 2007, p. 703).
q Hierarchy
members of a response class that occur in a consistent sequence when a response fails to be effective
Planning for Response Variation
qWhen dealing with problem behavior, take the time to interview caregivers. Ask about possible response-class hierarchies. qMake a plan to reinforce desirable response variation and safely manage undesirable response variation. qImplement the procedures with a highly trained therapist before having caregivers implement.
How should practitioners approach response variation when implem
Use a case-by-case approach– sometimes response variation is a desirable outcome
Treatment Relapse
q Refers to the recovery of previously treated responding q Typically occurs when there is some disruptor to the treatment § Return to a context in which problem behavior was previously reinforced § Inconsistent implementation § Addition of reinforcers previously associated with problem behavior
Renewal
qForm of treatment relapse associated with changes in context. qTreated behavior returns even though extinction is still in place. qRelapse tends to be brief… unless it contacts a reinforcer.
Inconsistent Implementation (Treatment Integrity)
Treatment Integrity = extent to which procedures are implemented as described q Two common types: § Omission error = treatment component not applied when it should have been § Commission error = inappropriate application of a treatment component q Frequent omission errors = too much extinction à treatment relapse
Resurgence
q Form of treatment relapse associated with increased exposure to extinction q Often, more intermittent implementation of DRA q Treated behavior returns even though extinction is still in place for that response q Relapse may persist for some time (we need more research on this)
Under which of the following conditions would treatment relapse be likely?
Behavior is a problem primarily in the home, but treatment happens in a clinic
Planning for Treatment Relapse
When integrity may be a problem: § Reduce reinforcement rate in a controlled context with a therapist § Create a plan for possible treatment relapse with implementation agents § Monitor integrity frequently and provide ongoing feedback to promote high levels of integrity § Include a more easily implemented treatment component to reduce exposure to extinction
q Respondent extinction occurs when:
. Unconditioned and conditioned stimuli are no longer paired
Operant extinction occurs when:
The reinforcer maintaining behavior is no longer delivered dependently on the behavior
q Ashandra protests when presented with difficult math work. A functional behavior assessment shows protesting is maintained by escape. Ashandra’s instructor wants to implement extinction. What might the EXT procedure look like?
Repeat the instruction to work when Ashandra protests
q In the graph shown below, the extinction procedure results in a typical direct effect.
True
In the graph shown below, each extinction phase resulted in an extinction burs
b. False
q In the graph below, EXT is used as an isolated treatment component for escapemaintained behavior. Was this likely to be a good decision?
. No
This type of treatment relapse is said to occur when there is a shift in context, such as returning home from
Renewal
This kind of treatment relapse is said to occur when the reinforcement schedule on a DRA becomes more intermittent–or is removed altogether.
. Resurgence
Partial reinforcement extinction effect (PREE) a. Define
Most well-known = “partial reinforcement extinction effect” (PREE) q Response reduction happens more quickly after continuous reinforcement than intermittent (partial) reinforcement q Can be examined several ways: § Number of responses required to meet predetermined extinction criterion § Number of experimental sessions required to meet criterion § Proportion of responding during EXT
PREE in Application
qLerman et al. (1996) qContinuous or intermittent baselines qAbsolute rates and proportion of baseline measures qEvidence of reverse PREE for two participants (some evidence for third participant)
Implications for Application of PREE
q PREE may be an artifact of different baseline response rates q Consider briefly reinforcing problem behavior on an FR1 before EXT § As might be done during a functional analysis anyway § May reduce overall response rate § May result in more rapid extinction of responding (but maybe not)
q What does the acronym “PREE” stand for?
Partial reinforcement extinction effect
Applied studies of the PREE typically find strong evidence for more resistance to extinction after intermittent reinforcement than continuous reinforcement.
. False
Behavior analysts only need to be concerned about a client’s most recent reinforcement history. Distant histories are overridden by more recent experiences.
b. False
qInterpret potential threats to valid experimental design as a result of reinforcement history
History Effects in Experimental Design
Planning for Remote History Effects in Experimental Design
History effects may define transition states qPlan on sufficient numbers of sessions to reduce the influence of remote history qDirectly assess reinforcement history by building replication sets of conditions
Reversal Designs
Sequential confounding = one phase follows another, so effects cannot be separated from history with previous phase q At the extreme, this is characterized as irreversibility § Failure to withdraw or override history from a previous condition § Most frequently a problem when independent variable results in skill acquisition, which cannot easily be withdrawn or overridden q Even at lesser extremes, recent history can dramatically impact performance
q_________________ occurs when one phase follows another, so effects cannot be separated from history with previous phase.
d. Sequential confounding
This term refers to an extreme form of sequential confounding.
Irreversibility
Multiple Baseline Designs
qGeneralization across responses or settings qMay be desirable clinically, even though really bad for experimental control qExample § Cheerleading Study
Planning for History Effects in Multiple Baselines
Select baselines carefully § Related § But, not TOO related! qUse a combination of designs when generalization may be a problem § Reversals or multielement designs § Different kinds of multiple baselines (e.g., across particip
One way to identify or reduce the influence of history effects in multiple baseline designs is to:
Use a combined design
Multielement Designs
May be less prone to extra-experimental history, particularly if multiple conditions conducted on same day/appointment q BUT… May be more prone to carryover/ alternation effects q Carryover particularly likely when conditions are not highly discriminable from each other
Multielement Designs
May also be result in contrast effects § Change in response rate in one component when changes are made to another component § Example: Home versus school § However, not a ton of evidence for frequent contrast effects
Planning for History Effects in Multielement Designs
Use clear discriminative stimuli q Counterbalance order of conditions § Allows for assessment of potential carryover § Must be on the lookout for patterns following different condition orders q Provide some time between sessions § Frequent alternation may be more likely to lead to carryover (Powell & Hake, 1971) § Spaced sessions may reduce carryover effects
Conners and colleagues demonstrated that the use of discriminative stimuli during functional analyses:
. Improved differentiation between conditions b. Resulted in
Changing Criterion Designs
qOften used when dramatic changes in response requirements would be contraindicated § Exercise § Smoking § Caffeine consumption
Changes in behavior during a changing criterion design are dependent, in part, on the past history of the organism § Changing-criterion may help to avoid ratio strain § Ratio strain = organism stops responding when reinforcement schedule is increased dramatically and abruptly
Planning for History Effects in Changing-Criterion Designs
qIncrease response requirements gradually qEstablish a response history at intermediary steps qBut, don’t stay at any step too long
qDuring changing criterion designs, considering reinforcement history is:
A critical feature of the design
