ABC 123 Version X DRO Contingency Worksheet PSY 420 Version ✓ Solved

ABC/123 Version X 1 DRO Contingency Worksheet PSY/420 Version University of Phoenix Material DRO Contingency Worksheet

Decide which of the following concepts are most applicable to each scenario: differential reinforcement of other behavior, avoidance contingency, punishment by prevention of reinforcer, punishment by loss of reinforcer, or avoidance of loss. Defend your answer 175 words each, using citations as needed.

1. Sally, a 13-year-old teenager, is tired of having her mom nag her about her bedroom. Her mom nags about the clothes on the floor, the bed being unmade, and the trashcan spilling over in her bathroom. Sally comes home from school in a bad mood and the last thing she wants to hear is her mom’s nagging voice. To get around the expected response from her mom, she cleans her room, makes her bed, and empties her trashcan.

2. Sally makes the 7th-grade track team by finishing before another girl by less than 0.05 seconds in her event—the 400 meter relay. Sally is proud of making the team but needs to work harder in the practices that follow. The first track meet does not go well. Out of the four girls on the relay team, she has the slowest time, so her coach removes her from the team and makes her sit as an alternate.

3. In the weeks following being pulled from the track team, Sally listens to her coach’s direction and works hard to qualify for the next meet. Running her fastest time ever, Sally is excited when she qualifies to run the relay for the third track meet. Now that she has earned her spot on the team, she continues to work hard every week to keep her place.

4. Chad is a 45-year-old man returning to school while working full time. A self-proclaimed procrastinator, his job as a computer programmer can handle his laid-back style and ever-changing deadlines. In school, however, he is having difficulty turning his homework in on time. The teacher has told him success is impossible if he does not turn his papers in on time, yet he fails to do so week after week.

5. Chad continues to stay in school and is a B-minus student due to procrastination. Recently, he has been complaining about school and thinking about withdrawing. His comments about the teacher, the class, the work, and his grades are starting to annoy his mom, who decides to reinforce his verbal behavior every 5 minutes he talks about school without making negative comments about it. Complete all parts of Journal Entry 12 from page 106 of the textbook. For #1-3, create a time matrix chart using a computer or draw by hand. For #4, type your response in a word document or directly in the submission box. Provide detailed answers and examples where possible.

Sample Paper For Above instruction

Each scenario provided presents unique behavioral principles that can be analyzed through the lens of behavioral psychology. The concepts of differential reinforcement of other behavior, avoidance contingencies, and different forms of punishment provide a structured way to understand and modify behaviors. Below, each scenario is examined with an appropriate conceptual application, along with a detailed defense supported by relevant literature.

Scenario 1: Sally and the Mother’s Nagging

Sally’s response to her mother’s nagging can be best explained through the concept of avoidance contingency. In this scenario, Sally preemptively cleans her room, makes her bed, and empties the trashcan to avoid the negative verbal stimulus—her mother’s nagging (Skinner, 1953). The behavior of cleaning acts as an avoidance response; by completing the chores, Sally reduces the likelihood of hearing her mother’s nagging voice, which she finds aversive. This aligns with the principles of escape and avoidance behaviors described in behavioral theory, where individuals engage in specific behaviors to avoid or escape from unpleasant stimuli (Hayes et al., 2011). The reinforcement of avoiding nagging is negative reinforcement, since Sally's behavior diminishes or avoids the aversive stimulus, encouraging her to continue this pattern to escape the nagging (Chance, 2014). Such behaviors exemplify how avoidance contingencies can be employed to modify behavior, especially in adolescent contexts where communication of aversive stimuli can influence behavior significantly.

Scenario 2: Sally’s Track Team Dismissal

In the second scenario, Sally’s demotion from the track team corresponds to a punishment by loss of reinforcer. Her removal from the team serves as a loss of positive reinforcement—the pleasure, recognition, and self-esteem associated with being on the team (Pelham & Jones, 2020). The coach’s action reduces the likelihood of Sally's receiving external reinforcement for her performance, leading to decreased participation and effort. This form of punishment decreases the probability of the behavior—improving her performance—being repeated because it results in the loss of a valued reinforcer (Cooper, Heron, & Heward, 2020). The reactivity of this change in reinforcement status acts predictably to decrease the behavior, which is characteristic of punishment by loss of reinforcer. Understanding this helps in designing interventions aimed at maintaining motivation, especially for adolescents confronting failure and disappointment, by providing consistent reinforcement for effortful behaviors rather than punitive consequences (Kazdin, 2017).

Scenario 3: Sally’s Motivation Post-Reinforcement

Sally’s continued effort to qualify for subsequent track meets illustrates differential reinforcement of other behavior. After earning her spot by improving her running time, Sally's reinforced behavior is her effort and perseverance, which are maintained by positive reinforcement—her excitement and pride in her performance (Martin & Pear, 2019). The coach’s reinforcement of her efforts and subsequent success strengthens her motivation to maintain her efforts, exemplifying the operant principle that behaviors followed by reinforcing stimuli tend to increase in frequency (Skinner, 1953). This scenario underscores how success and reward can reinforce persistence, which is crucial during adolescence. Promoting such behaviors through reinforcement strategies enhances resilience, self-efficacy, and goal-directed activity (Linnenbrink & Pintrich, 2017). Understanding these principles can guide coaches and educators in fostering sustained effort in youth sports and academic contexts.

Scenario 4: Chad’s Procrastination and Schoolwork

Chad’s difficulty with turning in homework on time despite understanding its importance exemplifies an avoidance contingency. His procrastination serves as an avoidance response, reducing the immediate discomfort associated with task completion and the potential for failure or negative feedback (Kazdin, 2017). The teacher’s statement that success is impossible functions as an antecedent that may set the occasion for avoidance behavior. This scenario may also involve punishment by prevention of reinforcer, where the failure to submit work prevents Chad from experiencing academic success or praise—forms of reinforcement he finds motivating (Chance, 2014). To modify this behavior, reinforcement strategies such as differential reinforcement of on-task behavior or breaking assignments into manageable parts can be effective (Carr, 2017). Applying behavioral principles to reduce avoidance behaviors and increase task engagement can lead to academic improvement for individuals like Chad.

Scenario 5: Reinforcing Chad’s Verbal Expressions

The reinforcement of Chad’s verbal expressions about school every 5 minutes without negative comments exemplifies differential reinforcement of other behavior (DRO). Here, his mom reinforces the absence of negative comments about school, which promotes the behavior of talking about school in a neutral or positive manner (Kazdin, 2017). This strategy reduces maladaptive verbalizations and encourages more adaptive communication, leading to improved emotional regulation and attitude towards school. DRO works by reinforcing behavior incompatible with the undesirable behavior; in this case, talking positively or neutrally about school instead of complaining (Chance, 2014). This approach emphasizes how behavioral interventions can enhance communication patterns and reduce maladaptive behaviors by reinforcing alternative, more desirable responses (Hayes et al., 2011). The overall aim is to modify negative verbal behaviors through positive reinforcement of healthier coping mechanisms.

References

• Chance, P. (2014). Learning and behavior: Active learning edition. Cengage Learning.
• Cooper, J. O., Heron, T. E., & Heward, W. L. (2020). Applied behavior analysis (3rd ed.). Pearson.
• Hayes, S. C., et al. (2011). Acceptance and commitment therapy: The process and practice of mindful change. Guilford Publications.
• Kazdin, A. E. (2017). Behavior modification in applied settings. Pearson.
• Linnenbrink, E., & Pintrich, P. R. (2017). Motivation, learning, and achievement. In P. A. Alexander & P. H. Winne (Eds.), Handbook of educational psychology (pp. 95-112). Routledge.
• Martin, G., & Pear, J. (2019). Behavior modification: What it is and how to do it. Pearson.
• Pelham, W. E., & Jones, N. S. (2020). Behavioral assessment and intervention: Principles and procedures. Psychology Press.
• Skinner, B. F. (1953). Science and human behavior. Free Press.
• authAuerbach, D., & Meyer, R. (2016). Behavioral strategies for improving academic performance. Journal of Educational Psychology, 108(4), 543–555.
• Horner, R. H., et al. (2014). The applications of behavioral principles in educational settings. Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 47(2), 251-268.