Behavior reduction strategies
“when implemented immediately after a target
behavior, reduce the future probability of the
target behavior recurring.” Zirpoli & Melloy, 2001
Is there really a problem?
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5 questions should be considered before a decision is
made to eliminate or modify a behavior
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Is the behavior causing physical harm to the student or others?
Is the behavior disruptive to the student’s learning or the
learning of others?
Does the behavior appear to be triggering additional problem
behaviors or emotional reactions in the student or others?
Is the behavior causing the student to be socially excluded?
Is the behavior related to a medical condition?
Chapter 8
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Arranging consequences to decrease behavior
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Strategies of differential reinforcement
Removal of desirable stimuli
Presentation of aversive stimuli
Aversives in the
educational setting
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Aversive is an unpleasant consequence
intervention as action by the teacher to decrease
inappropriate behavior
restriction as the degree of regulation to control the use
of an intervention (Tobin & Sugai, 1993)
Tobin and Sugai conducted a survey to determine
attitudes of educators about various aversive
interventions.
Rankings from questionnaire
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mild electric shock
exposure to ammonia
wearing a negative sign
hits and slaps
tastes of hot sauce
paddling
tastes of lemon juice
cloth restraints
wearing an eye screen
exposure to water mist
Differential reinforcement
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Differential reinforcement is defined as the
process of reinforcing an appropriate behavior
in the presence of one stimulus, and
simultaneously, not reinforcing an inappropriate
behavior in the presence of another stimulus.
Level 1 - Differential reinforcement
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Differential reinforcement of low rates of
behavior - DRL
Differential reinforcement of other behaviors DRO
Differential reinforcement of incompatible
behavior - DRI
Differential reinforcement of alternative
behaviors - DRA
DRA
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Definition- reinforcing a behavior that is an
alternative to the targeted behavior (dissimilar but
not incompatible).
How- when the student displays the inappropriate
behavior the teacher redirects the student to the
chosen alternative behavior.
When- every time the inappropriate behavior is
displayed.
Note: sometimes DRA is used in conjunction with
a mild punisher if the student continues to exhibit
the inappropriate behavior.
DRL
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DRL: reinforcement schedule used to decrease rate of inappropriate
behavior
Full Session: must meet criteria for whole session
Interval Session: must meet criteria when session broken into
smaller intervals. Intervals lengthened as behavior decreases.
How: 1. Record baseline
2. Space criteria
3. Decide what feedback to give students
Advantage: reduce behavior, progressive
Disadvantage: slow process, not appropriate for violent behavior.
DRO
Involves reinforcement for the non-occurrence of the target behavior.
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Specified period of time
- full-session DRO
- time period divided into smaller intervals
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Permanent product data
-e.g. smiley face on paper without doodles
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FACTORS
“pure” DRO
-reinforcement no matter what other behaviors are expressed
behavior vacuum
-need to identify appropriate behavior to replace target behavior
reinforcer needs to be more motivating than the one currently maintaining the
inappropriate behavior
Guidelines
initial DRO interval based on data
smaller increased to longer
DRI
Differential reinforcement of
incompatible behavior
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DRI increases behavior that excludes the occurrence of the
target behavior.
Both behaviors cannot occur simultaneously
Example: Reinforce someone for staying awake instead of
sleeping with positive comments and scheduling physical
activity during the typical sleep period.
FBA should be performed in order to find the causes of the
underlying behavior
The student should be able to perform the replacement
behavior.
Start with a CRF schedule and fade over time.
Differential reinforcement of
behavior
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I need 4 groups of experts:
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DRL
DRO
DRI
DRA
DR intervention steps
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Select the target behavior to be changed
Select the positive behavior to the target behavior.
Select the appropriate differential strategy (DRO,DRI,
DRL, DRA)
Determine the reinforcers to be used in the intervention
Determine criteria for success
Implement the intervention
Evaluate the results of the intervention
Extinction
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The discontinuation or withholding of the reinforcer of a behavior
that has previously been reinforced is called extinction. This
process is also known as systematic ignoring.
Guidelines: when the target behavior is exhibited, remain
impassive; give no indication that you are aware of the behavior.
Continue whatever activity you are presently doing; if the behavior
persists, turn your back and walk away.
Reprimands
Another form of punishment is the reprimand.
Reprimands are useful when a child is
engaging in behavior that necessitates
immediate action because it is potentially
harmful to self, others or property.
A reprimand should include a statement of an
appropriate alternative to the inappropriate
behavior.
Guidelines for reprimands
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Be specific, tell the child exactly what inappropriate behavior is being reprimanded.
Reprimand the behavior, not the child.
Reprimand immediately.
Be firm in voice and physical demeanor.
If danger of harm, remove child.
If necessary back up the reprimand with the loss of privileges
Encourage child to behave appropriately and include a statement of the
appropriate behavior in the reprimand.
Be calm.
When it is over, do not keep reminding the child of past inappropriate behavior,
avoid embarrassing in the presence of others, Use nonverbal reprimands - shake
your head no, point your finger, frown,etc.
Always observe the child’s reaction to the reprimand to determine if it is an
aversive.
Loss of privileges
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Loss of privileges is a negative behavior
management intervention though its results
may be positive.
(response cost)
When this is applied - a portion of the child’s
present or future positive reinforcers are taken
away following the exhibition of the target
behavior.
Guidelines for loss of privileges
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Be sure the child understands the relationship between the target behavior and the
privilege to be lost.
Be sure the student childs the punishable behavior and the consequence of
exhibiting it. Use natural or logical consequences
Apply the loss of privilege fairly
Avoid warning, nagging or threatening.
Do not debate the punishable behaviors, the rules, or the punishment once these
have been established
Do not become emotionally involved. Don’t feel guilty when the child loses a
privilege. If the child knows the rules and the consequences of the behavior, then
they have chosen to break the rule and suffer the consequence.
Be consistent
Reinforce appropriate behaviors, do not emphasize inappropriate behaviors.
Effectiveness
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Reprimand - is increased when paired with
nonverbal behavior associated with a verbal
command - (pointing a finger) & delivered in
close proximity to the individual who is the
target of the reprimand.
Loss of privilege - most effective when it is a
logical or natural consequence of the
inappropriate behavior - late for bus - miss it
Time-out
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Time out is the removal of the child from an
apparently reinforcing setting to a presumable
non-reinforcing setting for a specified and
limited period of time.
In other words - time out is time away from
positive reinforcement.
Time out has two important factors:
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contingent upon the exhibition of the target behavior
discrepancy that is meaningful to the student exists
between the time in and time out environments.
Such removal can effectively decrease a target
behavior.
Time out has been proven to be more effective than
verbal reprimands (Jones, Sloane & Roberts, 1992)
Three types of time out
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Observational time out (head down on desk,
outer perimeter, removing activity materials,
reduction of room illumination)
Exclusion - placing a screen between student
and the rest of the class -student remains in
the class.
Seclusion - time out room, the student leaves
the classroom and goes to an isolated room.
Effectiveness of time out is
contingent upon
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Characteristics of the individual child
Teachers consistent application of the
intervention
Child’s understanding of the rules of time out
Characteristics of the time out area
Duration of time out
Evaluation of the effectiveness of the
intervention
Overcorrection
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A punishment procedures that required the
individual who misbehaves to improve the
environmental effects of the misbehavior
and/or repeatedly perform the appropriate form
of the target behavior in the environment in
which the misbehavior was exhibited.
Other terms: Overcorrection
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Positive practice, functional movement training,
autism reversal, and educative restitution
Overcorrection characteristics
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directly related to misbehavior
directly experiences the effort normally required of
others to correct the products of the misbehavior
instituted immediately
performs overcorrection act rapidly so that the
consequences constitute an inhibitory effort
requirements
individual is instructed and manually guided through
the required acts - depending on individual
Two types of overcorrection
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Positive practice - the individual who exhibits the inappropriate
behavior is required to repeat over and over the appropriate target
behavior
Restitution - is correcting or setting right whatever in the
environment has been disturbed or disrupted by the inappropriate
behavior and doing so in a manner that is more corrected than it
actually was disturbed or disrupted
example: slamming a door and then opening and closing the door
quietly 20 times.
No throwing toys - pick up all the toys
Satiation
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Decreasing or eliminating an inappropriate
behavior as a result of continued and
increased reinforcement of the behavior.
Very common.
“getting too much of a good thing”
variable reinforcement schedules are more
resistant to satiation than a continuous or fixed
Punishment
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Intervention used to decrease or eliminate an
inappropriate behavior.
Two forms
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addition of an aversive stimulus as a consequence of behavior
subtraction of something the child perceives as desirable
(punishment by deprivation is generally considered less
harmful than the addition of physical or psychological aversive
stimuli)
Punishment
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Punishment always works. If you try something
that does not decrease behavior, you simply
have the wrong stimulus.
For example, it is only time out if the behavior
decreases. If the student would rather be
alone, then it is not working. You can only tell by looking at the data.
Timeout
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The behavior needs to be specified.
Time out should only be used for one or two specified problems.
This limits the amount of time out being used, if overused, it may
well lose its effectiveness.
Time out is not a procedure to be used at a whim. It has to be well
thought out and part of a written plan for a student.
Everyone needs to understand the rules.
Timeout
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The shorter the time spent in timeout, the
better, because the targeted behavior may not
be happening, but no learning is taking place
either. If the student would happen top perform
a desirable behavior, it would not be readily
reinforced.
Time out
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The location has to be safe, well-ventilated,
and lighted. The student must be observed at
all times. Some way to have eye contact.
These qualifications eliminate the bathroom
and hall closet. There is nothing more
controversial than timeout.
Time out
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You have a place that meets the ethical standards. You program
has been written and approved. You have given a warning and
Jason threw a chair. What do you do?
First, tell him in your firmest and most commanding voice (not
yelling)- Jason you throw a chair, go to time out. If Jason doesn’t
go, you may have to physically take him. DO NOT touch a student
except as a last resort and only if you have enough help to
overpower if necessary. Never let the student escape. It is better
to let him avoid time out than to let him physically hurt himself or
someone else, or escape.
Ethical concerns
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There are more obvious ethical concerns when using
deceleration procedures than when using acceleration
ones. One rule of thumb says - implement deceleration
at a ratio of 1:3. This means for every behavior you are
trying to decrease, you should be teaching or
increasing 3 others. Usually it is best to try a positive
approach first, like reinforcing an incompatible. In some
places documentation of this is required by law or
agency guidelines.
Ethical concerns
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Informed consent is required for some
punishment procedures by law or agency
guidelines. It certainly should de an ethical
requirement. It is also good sense to be
protected in case some one questions your
procedures.
Ethical concerns
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There is little physical or emotional harm possible to a
student from praise that doesn’t function as a reinforcer
or a prompt that doesn’t work. There is danger of time
lost and behaviors not being learned, but that danger is
less than the possibility of someone being hurt in a
time out or overcorrection procedure or becoming
completely withdrawn from being completely ignored in
the name of extinction. For this reason it is critical to
document your results in a deceleration program. If it
isn’t working, stop, and change it. To do otherwise is
unethical.
Ethical concerns
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It is certainly your ethical duty to demand a
satisfactory explanation from your supervisor
for any procedures you question.
This is true whether you question the ethics or
the effectiveness of any particular program.
Problems to solve….
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Answer the following questions at the end of ch 7 & 8:
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Chapter 7 - #2
Chapter 8 - #2, #3 (divide a-l between the group, @ person
taking one example).
Complete the following task:
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List some items of useful information that you have learned so
far this week.
Note any alteration of format that would be beneficial to your
learning.