Chapter 3
Identifying, Developing, and
Managing Operant
Antecedents
What Stimuli Can
Be Antecedents?
• any overt or covert perception can serve as an
operant antecedent stimulus
• immediate antecedents occur very shortly before
or overlap with behavior
• distant antecedents are covert stimuli that affect
behavior for a long time
Identifying Antecedents
• a functional analysis can demonstrate that a
stimulus is an antecedent
• antecedents for behavioral excesses may be too
frequent
• antecedents for behavioral deficits may be too
infrequent
Learning Discrimination
• discrimination learning is a process through
which we associate different stimuli with different
reinforcement contingencies
• discriminative stimuli signal that a behavior has
been attached to a specific consequence
Learning Discrimination (continued)
• S-deltas are stimuli that signal that no relationship
has been established
• stimulus generalization occurs when we fail to
discriminate
• stimulus equivalence occurs when several
different stimuli serve the same purpose
Stimulus Control
• stimulus control is the ability of the
discriminative stimulus to influence the
occurrence of behavior
• control may be the result of the interactive effect
of several stimuli
• contextual control occurs when many stimuli
serve to identify a situation
Prompting
• prompts remind us to engage in behavior we
already have learned
• physical guidance prompts manually manipulate
the client’s body through a behavior
• verbal prompts use spoken or written instruction
to direct behavior
Prompting (continued)
• other prompts include:
– pictorial prompts
– gestural prompts
– auditory prompts
Fading Prompts
• fading refers to a process of slowly removing
prompts after behavior is established
• decreased assistance is a fading procedure in
which the frequency of prompts is reduced
• increasing assistance procedure gradually
increases the intensity of prompts until a correct
response occurs
Fading Prompts (continued)
• delayed prompting gradually increases the time
before a prompt is made
• when fading is too slow, the individual may
become too dependent on them
• when fading is too fast, error rates increase and the
task may not be learned
Modeling and Instructions
• modeling teaches behavior through demonstration
• instruction teaches by offering written or oral
descriptions of behavior
• modeling and instruction also can show
consequences
• modeling and instruction can be more effective
when combined
Application of Modeling
and Instruction
• fade these prompts
• match the level of the information with the ability
of the learner
• make consequences apparent
• break down complex tasks into manageable tasks
• reward models
• reward observers for attending
Application of Modeling
and Instruction (continued)
• use models who are similar to the observer
• use more than one model
Cognitive Antecedents
• cognitive antecedents are typically covert selfstatements that include:
– self-instructions
– rules
– strategies
– logical thinking
• self-statements develop into more complex covert
statements with age
Cognitive Antecedents (continued)
• research on the effectiveness of self-instruction
has shown mixed results
• prompt the use of the self-instructional strategy
• cognitive antecedents are acquired
Altering Antecedent Chains
• target behaviors can involve a complex series of
links that lead to the completion of a task
• links become antecedents
• disrupting the links can serve to decrease behavior
• behavior can be strengthened by increasing the
stimulus control of the links
Managing Antecedents to
Increase or Decrease Behavior
• decrease behaviors by:
– reducing antecedents
– avoiding antecedents
– narrowing antecedent control
• use cognitive strategies to change characteristics
of antecedents
• turn a discriminative stimulus into an S-delta by
eliminating its predictive ability
Tips on Managing Antecedents
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look carefully at all potential antecedents
assess both overt and covert antecedents
ask others to assist in monitoring antecedents
include analysis of antecedents for behavioral
deficits
• fade prompts in small steps
• find creative ways to manage antecedents