1. Chapter 23: Antecedent Interventions
Cooper, Heron, and Heward
Applied Behavior Analysis, Second Edition

2. Conceptual Understanding of Antecedent Interventions
Literature has classified all antecedent-based behavior change strategies under single terms
e.g. antecedent procedures, antecedent control, antecedent manipulations, antecedent interventions
Using the same terms may cause confusion or fail to recognize the different functions
Cooper, Heron, and Heward
Applied Behavior Analysis, Second Edition

3. Conceptual Understanding of Antecedent Interventions
SD’s – evoke behavior due to past correlation with increased availability of reinforcement
MO’s – increase current frequency of behavior when an effective reinforcer is not available
Each has different implications for how behavior change strategies should be implemented and manipulated
Cooper, Heron, and Heward
Applied Behavior Analysis, Second Edition

4. Classifying Functions of Antecedent Stimuli
Categories for functions of antecedent stimuli
Contingency dependent
Contingency independent
Cooper, Heron, and Heward
Applied Behavior Analysis, Second Edition

5. Classifying Functions of Antecedent Stimuli
Contingency dependent
Antecedent event is dependent on the consequences of behavior for developing evocative & abative effects
All stimulus control functions
Referred to as antecedent control
Cooper, Heron, and Heward
Applied Behavior Analysis, Second Edition

6. Classifying Functions of Antecedent Stimuli
Contingency independent
Antecedent event is not dependent on the consequences of behavior for developing evocative & abative effects
Antecedent itself affects behavior-consequence relations
MO’s are contingency independent
Referred to as antecedent intervention
Cooper, Heron, and Heward
Applied Behavior Analysis, Second Edition

7. Antecedent Intervention
Antecedent interventions serve to have abolishing operations
Used in isolation or in combination (i.e. treatment packages
Decrease the effectiveness of reinforcers that maintain problem behavior
Effects of MO’s are temporary (Smith & Iwata, 1997)
Will not produce permanent improvements in behavior
Can be used simultaneously to reduce problem behavior
Most often antecedent interventions serve as a component of treatment package
Produce more maintaining effects
Cooper, Heron, and Heward
Applied Behavior Analysis, Second Edition

8. Antecedent Intervention
Interventions with established experimental results
Noncontingent reinforcement (NCR)
High-probability request sequence
Functional communication training (FCT)
Cooper, Heron, and Heward
Applied Behavior Analysis, Second Edition

9. Noncontingent Reinforcement
NCR is an antecedent intervention
Stimuli with known reinforcing properties are delivered on a fixed-time (FT) or variable-time (VT) schedule independent of the learner’s behavior (Vollmer et al., 1993)
Cooper, Heron, and Heward
Applied Behavior Analysis, Second Edition

10. Noncontingent Reinforcement
May effectively decrease problem behavior because reinforcers that maintain the problem behavior are available freely & frequently
Functions as an abolishing operation (AO)
Referred to as presenting stimuli with known reinforcing properties
Cooper, Heron, and Heward
Applied Behavior Analysis, Second Edition

11. Noncontingent Reinforcement
Uses three distinct procedures that identify & deliver stimuli with known reinforcing properties
Positive reinforcement
Negative reinforcement
Automatic reinforcement
Cooper, Heron, and Heward
Applied Behavior Analysis, Second Edition

12. Noncontingent Reinforcement
NCR with positive reinforcement
Kahng, Iwata, Thompson, and Hanley (2000)
Study demonstrated the use of positive reinforcement (i.e. attention & food) for three individuals with developmental disabilities as an antecedent intervention to decrease problem behaviors found during analysis to be maintained by the positive reinforcement
Cooper, Heron, and Heward
Applied Behavior Analysis, Second Edition

13. Noncontingent Reinforcement
NCR with negative reinforcement
Kodak, Miltenberger, and Romaniuk (2003)
Study demonstrated the use of negative reinforcment (i.e. break from instructional requests) for two individuals with autism as an antecedent intervention t decrease problem behaviors found during analysis to be maintained by negative reinforcement
Increased participants’ compliance & decreased problem behaviors
Cooper, Heron, and Heward
Applied Behavior Analysis, Second Edition

14. Noncontingent Reinforcement
NCR with automatic reinforcement
Lindberg, Iwata, Roscoe, Worsdell, and Hanley (2003)
Study demonstrated the use of automatic reinforcement (i.e. physical manipulation of highly preferred leisure items) for two individuals with profound mental retardation to decrease SIB found during analysis to be maintained by automatic reinforcement
Demonstrated that NCR object manipulation could compete with automatic reinforcement to reduce SIB
Cooper, Heron, and Heward
Applied Behavior Analysis, Second Edition

15. Noncontingent Reinforcement
Using NCR effectively
Three key elements to enhance effectiveness
Amount & quality of stimuli with known reinforcing effectiveness of NCR
Inclusion of extinction with NCR interventions
Vary the available stimuli with NCR intervention to reduce problems of changing preferences
Proper utilization of information obtained through FBA
Correct identification of maintaining contingencies of reinforcement
Cooper, Heron, and Heward
Applied Behavior Analysis, Second Edition

16. Noncontingent Reinforcement
Ringdahl, Vollmer, Borrero, and Connell (2001)
Study demonstrates the importance of the schedule under which reinforcement is delivered in NCR
Similarities between baseline and initial NCR may be ineffective
Denser reinforcement (than during baseline) during initial NCR ensures discrepancy & better chances for intervention to be successful
Cooper, Heron, and Heward
Applied Behavior Analysis, Second Edition

17. Noncontingent Reinforcement
Ringdahl et al. (2001) suggest three procedures for emphasizing reinforcement during NCR intervention
Increase the delivery of stimuli with known reinforcing properties
Use an obviously different schedule of reinforcement at treatment onset
Combine DRO with the NCR treatment package
Cooper, Heron, and Heward
Applied Behavior Analysis, Second Edition

18. Noncontingent Reinforcment
Time schedules for NCR
Typically most applications use a FT schedule
Also can be done using a VT schedule
Establishing the initial schedule is crucial & can impact the overall effectiveness of the intervention
Recommendation is to start with a dense FT or VT schedule
Can be done arbitrarily
More effective to base it on the number of occurrences of problem behavior
Cooper, Heron, and Heward
Applied Behavior Analysis, Second Edition

19. Noncontingent Reinforcement
To determine the initial NCR schedule
Divide the total duration of all baseline sessions by the total number of occurrences of the problem behavior (during baseline)
Set the initial interval at or slightly below the quotient
Cooper, Heron, and Heward
Applied Behavior Analysis, Second Edition

20. Noncontingent Reinforcement
Thinning the time-based schedules
Completed by adding small time increments to the NCR interval
Best done after the initial NCR interval has produced reduction in problem behavior
Can be accomplished using three procedures
Constant time increases
Proportional time increases
Session-to-session time increase or decrease
Cooper, Heron, and Heward
Applied Behavior Analysis, Second Edition

21. Noncontingent Reinforcement
Constant time increases
Increase the FT or VT schedule intervals by using a constant duration of time
Decrease the amount of time the individual has access to the SCR stimuli by a constant duration of time
Cooper, Heron, and Heward
Applied Behavior Analysis, Second Edition

22. Noncontingent Reinforcement
Proportional time increase
Increase the FT or VT schedule interval proportionately
Each time the schedule is increased by the same amount of time
Cooper, Heron, and Heward
Applied Behavior Analysis, Second Edition

23. Noncontingent Reinforcement
Session-to-session time increase or decrease
Use the individual’s performance to change the schedule interval on a session-to-session basis
Cooper, Heron, and Heward
Applied Behavior Analysis, Second Edition

24. Noncontingent Reinforcement
Additional considerations for NCR
Establish a terminal criteria
Weigh the possible advantages against possible disadvantages before deciding to utilize NCR with any indivdual
Cooper, Heron, and Heward
Applied Behavior Analysis, Second Edition

25. High-Probability Request Sequence
Referred to as high-p request sequence
Delivery of a high-p request sequence involves
Presentation of a series of easy-to-follow requests for which the individual has a history of compliance (i.e. high-p requests)
When individual complies with several high-p requests, provide individual with target request (i.e. low-p)
Cooper, Heron, and Heward
Applied Behavior Analysis, Second Edition

26. High-Probability Request Sequence
Behavioral effects of high-p request sequence suggests the abative effects of an AO by
Reducing the value of reinforcement for non-compliance to low-p requests
Reducing the aggression & self-injury typically associated with low-p requests
Provides non-aversive procedure for improving compliance by diminishing escape-maintained problem behaviors
May decrease excessive slowness in responding to requests & increase time used for completing tasks
Cooper, Heron, and Heward
Applied Behavior Analysis, Second Edition

27. High-Probability Request Sequence
Apply the high-p request sequence by
Selecting 2-5 short tasks with which the individual has a history of compliance
Present the high-p request sequence immediately before requesting the target task (i.e. low-p request)
Present the low-p request following in the same manner that all high-p requests were presented
Cooper, Heron, and Heward
Applied Behavior Analysis, Second Edition

28. High-Probability Request Sequence
Engelmann and Colvin (1983)
One of the first formal descriptions of high-p request sequence
Field has utilized a variety of terms to refer to this intervention
Interspersed requests (Horner et al., 1991)
Pre-task requests (Singer et al., 1987)
Behavioral momentum (Mace & Belfiore, 1990)
Referred to by most as high-p request sequence
Cooper, Heron, and Heward
Applied Behavior Analysis, Second Edition

29. High-Probability Request Sequence
Using high-p request sequence effectively
Select from the current repertoire
Present requests rapidly
Acknowledge compliance
Use potent reinforcers
Cooper, Heron, and Heward
Applied Behavior Analysis, Second Edition

30. High-Probability Request Sequence
Selecting from the current repertoire
Behaviors selected for the high-p request sequence should be:
In the learner’s current repertoire
Occur with regularity of compliance
Have a very short duration of occurrence
Cooper, Heron, and Heward
Applied Behavior Analysis, Second Edition

31. High-Probability Request Sequence
Presenting requests rapidly
High-p requests should be presented in rapid succession with short inter-request intervals
First low-p request should immediately follow reinforcer for high-p compliance (Davis & Reichle, 1996)
Cooper, Heron, and Heward
Applied Behavior Analysis, Second Edition

32. High-Probability Request Sequence
Acknowledging compliance
Individual’s compliance should be acknowledged immediately
Use of praise
Cooper, Heron, and Heward
Applied Behavior Analysis, Second Edition

33. High-Probability Request Sequence
Use potent reinforcers
Social praise may not be enough to increase compliance if motivation for escape behavior is high
Use of high-quality positive stimuli immediately following compliance may increase effectiveness of the intervention
Cooper, Heron, and Heward
Applied Behavior Analysis, Second Edition

34. Functional Communication Training
FCT establishes an appropriate communication behavior to compete with problem behaviors evoked by an EO
Develops alternative behaviors that are sensitive to the EO’s (in contrast to NCR and high-p request sequence)
Cooper, Heron, and Heward
Applied Behavior Analysis, Second Edition

35. Functional Communication Training
Application of DRA
Develops alternative communication response an antecedent to diminish problem behavior (Fisher et al., 1998)
Alternative response produces the reinforcer that has maintained problem behavior (Durand & Carr, 1992)
Alternative response can take a variety of forms
Vocalizations
Signs
Communication boards
Words or picture cards
Vocal output systems
Gestures
Cooper, Heron, and Heward
Applied Behavior Analysis, Second Edition

36. Functional Communication Training
Carr and Durand (1985) defined FCT as a two-step process
Completing a functional behavior assessment to identify the stimuli with known reinforcing properties that maintain problem behavior
Using those stimuli as reinforcers to develop an alternative behavior to replace the problem behavior
Very effective for problem behavior maintained by social attention
Cooper, Heron, and Heward
Applied Behavior Analysis, Second Edition

37. Functional Communication Training
FCT interventions typically
Involve several behavior change strategies in addition to teaching the alternative communication response
Response prompting
Time-out
Physical restraint
Response blocking
Redirection
Extinction of problem behavior
Cooper, Heron, and Heward
Applied Behavior Analysis, Second Edition

38. Functional Communication Training
Effective use of FCT includes
Dense schedules of reinforcement
Decreased use of verbal prompts
Behavior reduction procedures
Schedule thinning
Cooper, Heron, and Heward
Applied Behavior Analysis, Second Edition

39. Functional Communication Training
Dense schedules of reinforcement
Alternative communication response should produce the reinforcers that maintain the problem behavior on a continuous schedule of reinforcement at first
Cooper, Heron, and Heward
Applied Behavior Analysis, Second Edition

40. Functional Communication Training
Decreased use of verbal prompts
When the alternative communication response is being taught initially verbal prompts are often used
After the response is in the individual’s repertoire the verbal prompts should be reduced and eliminated (if possible)
Assists in removing any prompt dependence
Cooper, Heron, and Heward
Applied Behavior Analysis, Second Edition

41. Functional Communication Training
Behavior reduction procedures
Effectiveness of FCT can be increased with the use of other procedures (in a treatment package to enhance the reduction of the undesired (problem) behaviors
Extinction procedure
Time-out procedure
Cooper, Heron, and Heward
Applied Behavior Analysis, Second Edition

42. Functional Communication Training
Schedule thinning
Thinning of the schedule on which the established communication response is reinforced is an important part of FCT
Should only be done after the alternative communication response is firmly in the individual’s repertoire
Cooper, Heron, and Heward
Applied Behavior Analysis, Second Edition

43. Functional Communication Training
Schedule thinning (continued)
Guidelines for schedule thinning are NOT the same as those for NCR
Alternative communication response must remain sensitive to evocative function of the EO to compete with problem behavior
Recovery of problem behavior could occur
Hanley et al. (2001) recommended using a procedure for schedule thinning
Used dense FI schedule of reinforcement during initial teaching of alternative communication response
After the response is established, gradually thin the FI schedule
Suggest use of external cues to indicate when reinforcement is available
Cooper, Heron, and Heward
Applied Behavior Analysis, Second Edition