CHAPTER 9: Using Reinforcement to Increase Appropriate Behavior Behavior Management: Principles and Practices of Positive Behavior Supports Third Edition John J. Wheeler David D. Richey

Wheeler/Richey. Behavior Management, 3e. © 2014, 2010, 2005 by Pearson Education, Inc. All Rights Reserved 9-2 Objectives Define and discuss the importance of reinforcement Describe positive and negative reinforcement Identify classes of reinforcement Discuss the principles of effective reinforcement

Wheeler/Richey. Behavior Management, 3e. © 2014, 2010, 2005 by Pearson Education, Inc. All Rights Reserved 9-3 Objectives continued… List and describe methods for using positive reinforcement within learning environments including the use of naturally occurring reinforcers Describe the applications of reinforcement programs within the classroom such as token economies and group contingencies

Wheeler/Richey. Behavior Management, 3e. © 2014, 2010, 2005 by Pearson Education, Inc. All Rights Reserved 9-4 What is Reinforcement? Reinforcement is a consequence that follows a behavior that strengthens a behavior A reinforcement history is the culmination of a individual’s learning history and the reinforcing consequences that have shaped their behavior

Wheeler/Richey. Behavior Management, 3e. © 2014, 2010, 2005 by Pearson Education, Inc. All Rights Reserved 9-5 Positive Reinforcement Positive reinforcement is defined as the contingent presentation of a stimulus that increases the probability of the occurrence of the behavior in the future.

Wheeler/Richey. Behavior Management, 3e. © 2014, 2010, 2005 by Pearson Education, Inc. All Rights Reserved 9-6 Examples of Positive Reinforcement Are individualized by learner Can include praise, teacher proximity, access to preferred activities and opportunities for choice

Wheeler/Richey. Behavior Management, 3e. © 2014, 2010, 2005 by Pearson Education, Inc. All Rights Reserved 9-7 Negative Reinforcement Negative reinforcement is when an occurrence of the target behavior is followed by the removal of an aversive stimulus, ultimately resulting in an increase in the target behavior (Miltenberger, 2011).

Wheeler/Richey. Behavior Management, 3e. © 2014, 2010, 2005 by Pearson Education, Inc. All Rights Reserved 9-8 Classes of Positive Reinforcers Activity-This includes activities that are enjoyed by the individual Tangibles-Preferred items such as toys, possessions or clothing Social-Includes social praise, social attention, and acknowledgement Token-Tokens that can be exchanged for a specific reinforcer

Wheeler/Richey. Behavior Management, 3e. © 2014, 2010, 2005 by Pearson Education, Inc. All Rights Reserved 9-9 Principles of Effective Reinforcement Reinforcement must be contingent Reinforcement must be immediate Establishing operations will increase the value of a reinforcer Intensity of the reinforcer will influence the behavior Quality of the reinforcer will determine the effectiveness of the reinforcer (Kazdin, 2008).

Wheeler/Richey. Behavior Management, 3e. © 2014, 2010, 2005 by Pearson Education, Inc. All Rights Reserved 9-10 Schedules of Reinforcement Continuous Reinforcement-occurs when a target behavior is repeatedly reinforced following its occurrence ○ Used during acquisition stages of learning Intermittent Reinforcement-target behavior is reinforced on an intermittent schedule (interval) or (ratio) ○ Used to build fluency and maintenance

Wheeler/Richey. Behavior Management, 3e. © 2014, 2010, 2005 by Pearson Education, Inc. All Rights Reserved 9-11 Shaping Shaping refers to the reinforcement of successive approximations that a learner makes in performing a task

Wheeler/Richey. Behavior Management, 3e. © 2014, 2010, 2005 by Pearson Education, Inc. All Rights Reserved 9-12 Chaining Chaining involves a sequence of related steps or behaviors or discriminative stimuli and responses that are linked together just as links in a chain. For example, when children arrive home from school, their parents might have a routine comprised of a sequence of behaviors that must be accomplished

Wheeler/Richey. Behavior Management, 3e. © 2014, 2010, 2005 by Pearson Education, Inc. All Rights Reserved 9-13 Chaining continued… Chaining methods include: ○ Total Task Presentation ○ Backward Chaining ○ Forward Chaining

Wheeler/Richey. Behavior Management, 3e. © 2014, 2010, 2005 by Pearson Education, Inc. All Rights Reserved 9-14 Stimulus Control A process by which a stimulus assumes control of a behavior that has been previously reinforced in the presence of that stimulus

Wheeler/Richey. Behavior Management, 3e. © 2014, 2010, 2005 by Pearson Education, Inc. All Rights Reserved 9-15 Fading Is a procedure designed to systematically remove instructional prompts so that the behavior occurs under natural conditions. Fading is a process that teachers frequently use over time to reduce the amount of instructional prompts provided to the learner to allow for independent performance on the part of the learner

Wheeler/Richey. Behavior Management, 3e. © 2014, 2010, 2005 by Pearson Education, Inc. All Rights Reserved 9-16 Classroom-Wide Reinforcement Programs Classroom-wide programs of reinforcement generally are reinforcement programs that are administered to the class as a whole based on their performance ○ Token economy programs