Part G- Behaviour-Change Procedures-Part 2
G-12: Use Equivalence-Based Instruction
Review (B-15):
Derived Stimulus Relations (AKA stimulus equivalent and equivalence relation): a relation between two or more untrained stimuli.
Design Equivalence-Based Instruction
Match to sample procedures are most common
Applications of Equivalence-Based Instruction
Most application is shown in Early Behaviour Intervention settings with typically developing children, who are taught to language, number-skills, and functional skills
Also used in populations of individuals with brain injury
G-13: Use the High-Probability Instructional Sequence
High-Probability Instructional Sequence: This is when a clinician presents a series of previously mastered and easy skills to engage the learner, which leads to behavioural momentum and reduces escape-maintained behaviours
Example: A learner has previously mastered imitation skills and one-step instructions. The clinician is teaching the learner to follow a schedule. The learner begins to engage in self-stimulatory behaviour. The clinician asks the learner to clap their hands, touch their nose, and copy me, prior to delivering the SD to begin the schedule.
High P’s or HPR’s should be presented quickly with short inter-trial intervals
5 High P’s are effective at increasing compliance, however 2 are more efficient
G-14: Use Reinforcement Procedures to Weaken behaviour (e.g., DRA, FCT, DRO, DRL, NCR)
G-15: Use Extinction
Review (B-9):
Extinction: Response is not followed by reinforcement, resulting in decrease in response levels
When using extinction, be mindful of extinction effects.
In recent years, specifically due to the pandemic, there has been a decrease in research about extinction. It’s also become a taboo topic to use operant extinction with learners, however it is definitely a useful intervention when implemented currently and for intense challenging behaviours. Whenever you are thinking to use extinction, keep ethics in mind and remember to always use reinforcement strategies first.
G-16: Use Positive and Negative Punishment (e.g., time-out, response cost, overcorrection)
Review (B-6):
Punishment: presentation or removal of a stimuli that decreases the future occurrence of the behaviour it immediately follows; always consider as the final procedure, after reinforcement procedures have been considered
Positive Punishment (Type 1): presentation of a stimuli that decreases the future occurrence of the behaviour it immediately follows; add something aversive
Negative Punishment (Type 2): removal/termination of a stimuli that decreases the future occurrence of the behaviour it immediately follows; remove something reinforcing
Positive Punishment Interventions
1) Reprimands: Most common form of positive punishment; best used when reprimand is used once with a form voice and eye contact. If the reprimand is repeated multiple times, it may lose its effect as a punisher.
2) Response Blocking: Stopping the response before completion or intervening as soon as the challenging behaviour occurs.
3) Contingent exercise: Individual has to engage in unrelated exercise that is not topographically similar to the challenging behaviour.
4) Overcorrection: When an individual engages in challenging behaviour, the individual is made to engage in effortful behaviours related to the problem
i) Simple Correction: The individual engaging in challenging behaviour is required to return the environment to its previous state
ii) Restitutional Overcorrection: If the individual engages in challenging behaviour, they are required to return the environment to its previous state, as well as an additional behaviour is added to return the environment to a better state
iii) Positive Practice Overcorrection: If the individual engages in challenging behaviour, they are required to repeatedly complete the correct form of the behaviour.
5) Contingent Electric Simulation: An electric shock is provided if the individual engages in challenging behaviour
Negative Punishment Interventions
1) Time-out from Positive Reinforcement: Removal of positive reinforcers for a specified time. There must be a clear difference between typical environment and the “time-out” environment
i) Non-Exclusion Time-Out: These are procedures where the individual is not removed from the physical setting. Procedures are : planned ignoring, withdrawal of a specific reinforcer, contingent observation, or a time-out ribbon
ii) Exclusion Time-Out: These are procedures where the individual is removed from their physical setting for a set amount of time. Procedures are: time-out room, partition time-out, hallway time-out
2) Response Cost: The individual loses access to a reinforcer
i) Fines: Fining the individual for a specific amount of the reinforcer
ii) Bonus response cost: Clinicians provide additional reinforcers, specifically for removal with response cost procedures
iii) Combining with Positive Reinforcement: Identify criteria for which the individual can earn a reinforcing item and criteria for when a reinforcing item will be taken away
Ethical Concerns when Using Punishment Procedures
Clearly define behaviours that lead to punishment procedures
Identify criteria for when punishment will be eliminated
Conduct assessments to know how much of the punisher should be used (i.e. magnitude and intensity)
Use a punisher of a greater magnitude to begin, rather than gradually increasing magnitude
Use punishment right away when the challenging behaviour occurs
Identify if the procedure is effective in reducing challenging behaviours
Gradully shift to intermittent schedule of punishment
Use punishment procedures along with DRA, DRO, DRI, and extinction
Be prepared for negative effects of punishment procedures
How to Use Punishment Procedures Effectively
1) The client has the right to safe and humane treatment- do not use punishment for long periods of time, ensure the punishers therapeutic effectiveness.
2) Least restrictive alternative- use less intrusive procedures and if they do not work, rethink your procedure.
3) Right to effective treatment- ensure that you are using procedures that are justifiable and commendable.
G-17: Use Token Economies
Token Economy: 3 components that make up a behaviour change system
1) List of specific target behaviours
2) Token: An item to exchange for engaging in the target behaviour
3) Back-up reinforcers: items that can be exchanged for tokens
Designing a Token Economy
Select tokens
Identify target behaviour and rules
Select backup reinforcers
Establish ratio of exchange
Identify when and how tokens will be given and exchanged for the back-up reinforcers. Identify what occurs if requirements are not met to earn a token. Will the procedure include response-cost?
Test before implementation
Considerations
Can be time consuming
May require many resources
May require more energy from staff and learner
G-18: Use Group Contingencies
Group Contingency: A common consequence, dependent on the behaviour of one member, a part of, or everyone in the group
Independent Group Contingency: Reinforcement contingency is presented to all members of the group, but only those who meet the criterion receive reinforcement
Dependent Group Contingency: The reinforcement for the entire group is based on the performance of one individual or small group; also known as the hero procedure
Interdependent Group Contingency: All participants of a group must meet criterion before any one receives reinforcement
G-19: Use Contingency Contracting
Contingency Contracting: Also known as a behavioural contract; a document outlining the contingent relationship between completion of a target behaviour and access to a reinforcer; The individual using the contract must sign and agree
Components of a Contingency Contract
Task: Identify who is engaging in the target behaviour, what is the target behaviour, when will the target behaviour be completed, and how will the target behaviour be completed
Reward: Who will judge, what is the reinforcer, when can the reinforcer be receiver, and how much of the reinforcer will be provided
Task Record: Record when task is completed and if the reinforcer was provided
Self-Contract: A contingency contract that a person makes with themself
Contract Development
Hold a meeting
Complete questions listed for Task
Complete questions listed for Reward
Identify Task Record
Write contract
Guidelines for Contracts
Make it fair for all parties
Be clear about all conditions
Post contact in a visible place
Add layers of rewards, with a big reward at the end
Renegotiate the contract, if required
Identify when to terminate the contract
G-20: Use Self-Management Strategies
Self-Control: Engaging in a challenging behaviour, such that large reinforcers are delayed and come at the expense of small, instant reinforcers.
Self- Management: Engaging in a goal that is set by the individual themself
Self-Monitoring: also known as self-recording and self-observation; An individual engages in collecting data on their own behaviours
Self-Evaluation: An individual conducts a comparison of their own performance to a predetermined goal or previously set standard
Self-Instruction: Response prompts for a desired behaviour that are self- generated. These can be covert or overt.
Habit Reversal: Individuals engaging in behaviour that is incompatible with the target behaviour to reduce the levels of target behaviour
Massed Practice: Repeating undesired behaviour multiple times back-to-back
There can be various types of control when using self-management strategies.
1) External Control: Someone other than the individual chooses the behaviour
2) Shared Control: After a discussion, two people choose a behaviour
3) Internal Control: The individual chooses their own behaviour to change
Guidelines for Self-Monitoring
Create materials that make it easy for you to self-monitor
Give yourself prompts
Do this early and often
Reinforce accurate self-monitoring
Have easy consequences ready to go
Set meaningful criteria
Eliminate other reinforcing items that are accessible without engaging in the target behaviour
Antecedent-Based Self-Management Procedures
Manipulating motivating operations- Engaging in behaviours that increase motivation to engage in target behaviour
Providing response prompts- Engaging in self-instruction to provide prompts
Performing initial steps- Engaging in the first behaviours of a behaviour chain to build behavioural momentum
Removing materials required for an undesired behaviour
Limiting an undesired behaviour to restricted stimulus conditions
Dedicating a specific environment for a specific behaviour
G-21: Use Procedures to Promote Stimulus and Response Generalization
Review (B-11):
Generalization: A certain behaviour occurs in the presence of a variety of stimuli.
Plan for:
Setting/Situation Generalization
Response Generalization
Overgeneralization
Generality across Subjects
Strategies for Promoting Generalization
Make teaching environment similar to the natural environment
Provide higher rates of reinforcement in the generalization setting
Mediate generalization
Train to generalize skills
G-22: Use Procedures to Promote Maintenance
Review (B-11):
Maintenance: A certain behaviour continues to be part of an individual’s repertoire, even after the removal of formal teaching of the program.
Strategies for Promoting Maintenance
Use multiple exemplars
Teach with sufficient examples
Program common stimuli
Teach loosely
Use indiscriminable contingencies
