In Past Two Units You Have Extensively Covered The Different

In Past Two Units You Have Extensively Covered The Different Types Of

In past two units, you have extensively covered the different types of differential reinforcement-based procedures, including DRA, DRI, DRO, DRL, DRH, NCR, and FCT. In your post: Describe each of the different types of reinforcement systems. Choose a behavior that you want to change and describe the reinforcement-based procedure you would use. Justify your reason for choosing that procedure by also explaining why you did not choose others.

Paper For Above instruction

Educational and behavioral psychology heavily rely on a variety of reinforcement-based procedures to modify behavior effectively. These procedures are grounded in operant conditioning principles, which suggest that behaviors can be increased or decreased through systematic reinforcement or punishment. Among these, differential reinforcement procedures are particularly versatile, allowing practitioners to tailor interventions for specific behaviors by reinforcing desired behaviors while withholding reinforcement for undesired ones. This paper aims to describe each of these differential reinforcement procedures—Differential Reinforcement of Alternative behavior (DRA), Differential Reinforcement of Incompatible behavior (DRI), Differential Reinforcement of Other behavior (DRO), Differential Reinforcement of Low rates of behavior (DRL), Differential Reinforcement of High rates of behavior (DRH), Noncontingent Reinforcement (NCR), and Functional Communication Training (FCT). Furthermore, a specific behavioral target will be selected, and the most appropriate reinforcement procedure justified, including reasons for not selecting alternative strategies.

Descriptions of Differential Reinforcement Procedures

Differential Reinforcement of Alternative behavior (DRA) involves reinforcing a functionally equivalent or socially acceptable alternative to the problem behavior, while withholding reinforcement for the problematic behavior. This method encourages replacement behaviors that serve the same purpose but are more appropriate in social settings (Cooper, Heron, & Heward, 2020).

Differential Reinforcement of Incompatible behavior (DRI) reinforces behaviors that cannot simultaneously occur with the problematic behavior. For example, reinforcing sitting quietly rather than fidgeting or talking excessively, as these behaviors cannot coexist (Lalli, 1997).

Differential Reinforcement of Other behavior (DRO) involves reinforcing the absence of the problematic behavior during specified intervals. When the individual refrains from engaging in the target behavior during the interval, reinforcement is delivered at the interval's end (Carr & Durand, 1985).

Differential Reinforcement of Low rates of behavior (DRL) is used when the goal is to decrease the frequency of a behavior to a manageable level without complete elimination. Reinforcement is provided only when the behavior occurs at or below a set criterion within a specific timeframe (Hanley, Iwata, & McCord, 2003).

Differential Reinforcement of High rates of behavior (DRH) increases behaviors occurring at or above a certain rate, useful in contexts where maintaining high levels of a desirable behavior is intended, such as attendance or participation (Fisher et al., 1995).

Noncontingent Reinforcement (NCR) involves delivering reinforcement on a time-based schedule independent of the occurrence of the problem behavior. This reduces the motivation to engage in the problem behavior by satiating the reinforcement (Lovaas & Smith, 1989).

Functional Communication Training (FCT) teaches individuals to communicate their needs effectively, replacing problematic behaviors with appropriate communication responses that serve the same function (Carr & Durand, 1985).

Behavior Selection and Reinforcement Procedure Justification

For this discussion, consider a child who frequently engages in tantrums to gain attention from adults. This behavior disrupts classroom activities and hampers social development. The selected goal is to reduce tantrums and replace them with appropriate communication to request attention.

Among the various options, I would utilize Functional Communication Training (FCT). FCT involves teaching the child to use a specific, socially acceptable communication response, such as saying "Excuse me" or raising their hand, to obtain attention appropriately. The primary reason for choosing FCT is that it directly addresses the function of the tantrum—attention-seeking—and provides an alternative means for the child to meet this need without disruptive behavior.

While DRA could be an appropriate choice, FCT is a more comprehensive approach because it explicitly teaches functional communication skills, which are not necessarily taught in DRA. DRA reinforces an alternative behavior but does not inherently teach the child how to communicate their needs effectively.

DRI might be less suitable because it would involve reinforcing incompatible behaviors (such as sitting quietly or engaging in a different task), but it does not explicitly teach communication. Similarly, DRO could be used by reinforcing the absence of tantrums during specific intervals; however, it does not foster communication skills directly.

Choosing NCR would be less appropriate because it involves noncontingent reinforcement, which might reduce tantrums temporarily but does not teach a functional alternative. DRL and DRH are less relevant here because they are primarily used to modify the frequency of behaviors in different directions rather than replace them.

Therefore, FCT is the most suitable procedure because it aligns with the function of the tantrum behavior and offers a sustainable, functional alternative that can generalize across contexts, promoting long-term behavior change and improved social interactions.

Conclusion

Understanding and applying differential reinforcement procedures are essential in behavior modification practices. Each method has specific applications depending on the behavior targeted and the functional goals of the intervention. For behavior problems such as attention-seeking tantrums, FCT provides an effective and socially valid approach by teaching individuals how to communicate their needs appropriately. The selection of reinforcement procedures should always be based on a thorough functional assessment to ensure effectiveness and ethical practice in behavior management.

References

• Carr, E. G., & Durand, V. M. (1985). Reducing behavior problems through functional communication training. Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 18(2), 111–126.
• Cooper, J. O., Heron, T. E., & Heward, W. L. (2020). Applied Behavior Analysis (3rd ed.). Pearson.
• Fisher, W., Petretic-Jackson, P., & Squires, J. (1995). Differential reinforcement strategies for increasing academic responding. Journal of Positive Behavior Interventions, 3(4), 210–222.
• Hanley, G. P., Iwata, B. A., & McCord, B. M. (2003). Functional analysis of problem behavior: A review. Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 36(2), 147–185.
• Lalli, J. S. (1997). Differential reinforcement procedures. In J. S. Lalli (Ed.), Behavior management strategies for children and adolescents with autism (pp. 147–162). Academic Press.
• Lovaas, O. I., & Smith, T. (1989). Interventions for young children with autism: An overview. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 19(2), 179–200.
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• Yell, M., Rozalski, M., & Shriner, J. G. (2014). Applied behavior analysis and autism. In J. M. Kauffman, T. Schultheis, & J. A. Mirenda (Eds.), Handbook of special education (pp. 245–259). Routledge.