1. Copyright © 2011 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved. Antecedent Control: Rules and Goals Chapter 17

2. Copyright © 2011 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved. Rules Rule –Description of a three-term contingency of reinforcement (antecedents-behavior- consequences) –Partial rules – do not identify all three aspects of a contingency of reinforcement –Command or threat – imply that noncompliance will be punished

3. Copyright © 2011 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved. Contingency-Shaped versus Rule-Governed Behavior Contingency-shaped behavior –Behavior that has been strengthened (or weakened) in settings by the direct-acting effects of consequences in those settings –Involves immediate consequences –Strengthened gradually through trial and error Rule-governed behavior –Behavior that is controlled by the statement of a rule

4. Copyright © 2011 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved. When Rules Are Especially Helpful When rapid behavior change is desirable When consequences are delayed When natural reinforcers are highly intermittent When behavior will lead to immediate and severe punishment

5. Copyright © 2011 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved. Why Rules Control Our Behavior Although the reinforcer identified in a rule might be delayed for an individual, other people might provide other immediate consequences if the individual follows (or does not follow) a rule An individual might follow a rule and then immediately make reinforcing statements to himself or herself Our operant-respondent interactions give us a reinforcement history such that following rules is automatically strengthened, while failure to follow rules is automatically punished

6. Copyright © 2011 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved. Effective and Ineffective Rules Rules are more likely to be followed if they: –Describe behavior specifically –Describe specific circumstances in which the behavior should occur –Describe probable consequences –Describe sizeable consequences –Describe deadlines

7. Copyright © 2011 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved. Guidelines for Using Rules Effectively Rules should be understandable Rules should be effective Complex rules should be broken down into easy-to-follow steps Rules should be delivered in a pleasant, courteous manner Fading of rules should be used as necessary to allow other stimuli that are present to take control of the behavior

8. Copyright © 2011 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved. Goals Goal –Describes a level of performance toward which an individual or group should work –Considered to be motivational –Might be considered as a rule –Used to influence individuals to work toward some objective over a period of time or during a number of practice opportunities

9. Copyright © 2011 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved. Effective and Ineffective Goal Setting Goals are more effective when they: –are specific –include mastery criteria –identify the circumstances under which the desirable behavior should occur –are realistic and challenging –are public –include deadlines –include feedback –when individuals are committed to them

10. Copyright © 2011 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved. Guidelines for Goal Setting Set goals that are specific, realistic, and challenging Identify the specific behaviors and circumstances in which they should occur in order to meet the goals Be clear about the specific consequences that might occur for meeting or not meeting the goal Break long-term goals into several short-term goals If the goal is complex, devise an action plan for meeting it Set deadlines for goal attainment Ensure that individuals involved are committed to the goals Encourage the learner to share the goals with a friendly supporter Design a system for monitoring progress toward goals Provide positive feedback as progress toward goals is achieved