Manipulating parameters of reinforcement to reduce problem behavior without extinction

Differential Reinforcement without Extinction: An Assessment of Sensitivity to and Effects of Reinforcer Parameter Manipulations

Although functional communication training (FCT) usually includes extinction, withholding reinforcement is not possible or ethical with certain individuals, for some topographies of problem behavior, or in certain contexts. The current study evaluates the effects of two variations of FCT, both without extinction, on problem behavior and communication. Further, the intervention procedures were designed to evaluate participant reactivity to reinforcer parameters (e.g., magnitude, delay, and quality) in the context of the FCT variations. The parameter sensitivity assessments were effective at identifying relevant reinforcer parameters for each participant and both FCT interventions were effective in decreasing problem behavior and increasing communication for all participants. The results demonstrated that FCT was effective regardless of which reinforcer parameter was manipulated. Moreover, all sessions were conducted in participants' homes and caregivers reported high degrees of social validity for the intervention procedures and outcomes.

Updated Recommendations for Reinforcement Schedule Thinning following Functional Communication Training

Schedule thinning is a necessary treatment procedure following the acquisition of a communication response during functional communication training. In this article, we update and extend the Hagopian et al. Behavior Analysis in Practice, 4, 4-16, (2011) review and recommendations on schedule-thinning procedures following functional communication training. Since their publication, substantial research has been published on the efficacy, efficiency, and social validity of schedule-thinning methods. We provide updated recommendations for schedule thinning based on contemporary literature that has been published since 2011, as well as discuss key areas for future research.

Recommendations Regarding Use of the Term "Ignore" in Applied Behavior Analysis

Ignore is a common term used in behavioral assessment, behavior intervention plans, textbooks, and research articles. In the present article, we recommend against the typical usage of the term in most applications of behavior analysis. First, we briefly outline some history of the use of the term in behavior analysis. Then, we describe six main concerns about ignore and the implications for its continued use. Finally, we address each of these concerns with proposed solutions, such as alternatives to the use of ignore.

Relapse and its mitigation: Toward behavioral inoculation

Relapse following the successful treatment of problem behavior can increase the likelihood of injury and the need for more intensive care. Current research offers some predictions of how treatment procedures may contribute to relapse, and conversely, how the risk of relapse can be mitigated. This review describes relapse-mitigation procedures with varying levels of support, the quantitative models that have influenced the research on relapse mitigation, different experimental methods for measuring relapse mitigation, and directions for future research. We propose that by viewing the implementation of relapse-mitigation procedures as a means of producing behavioral inoculation, clinicians are placed in the proactive and intentional role of exposing their client's behavior to an array of reinforcement and stimulus conditions during treatment with the goal of decreasing the detrimental impact of future treatment challenges.

A review of methods of assessing preference for social stimuli

Research on preference and reinforcer assessments has historically focused on the evaluation of edible and leisure reinforcers, but the identification and use of individualized social reinforcers may be beneficial for several reasons. Recently, many studies have evaluated methods of assessing preference for social stimuli. The procedures and outcomes across these studies have varied greatly, and the current state of evidence for methods of assessing preference for social stimuli remains unclear. Thus, we conducted a review to synthesize all previous research in this area, evaluate the evidence for the utility of this general methodology, and identify factors that may influence its utility. Our results suggest that social preference assessments are likely to produce results that correspond with reinforcer assessment hierarchies. Preference assessment modality was one factor that influenced utility; video-based preference assessments had greater correspondence with reinforcer assessments than did other modalities. Directions for future research and implications for the use of social preference assessments in research and practices are discussed.

Varying reinforcer dimensions during differential reinforcement without extinction: A translational model

Procedural arrangements of differential reinforcement of alternative behavior without extinction often involve presenting the same reinforcers for problem behavior and appropriate behavior, which is typically ineffective at reducing problem behavior and increasing an alternative response. However, manipulating reinforcement dimensions such that the contingencies favor the alternative response may improve treatment outcomes when using differential reinforcement of alternative behavior without extinction by increasing appropriate behavior and reducing problem behavior. We conducted this translational study with 32 college students completing a button-pressing task on a computer program in which they could engage in analogs to problem behavior and appropriate behavior. The effects of manipulating magnitude, immediacy, quality, and a combination of all three dimensions for the alternative response were evaluated. Overall, all dimension manipulations reduced the analog to problem behavior, with the largest reductions observed during the quality probe and the probe with all dimensions combined. These results support the notion that differential reinforcement of alternative behavior without extinction can be an effective form of treatment.

Opportunities for ABA intervention in Phelan-McDermid syndrome

Phelan-McDermid syndrome (PMS), also called 22q13.3 deletion syndrome, is a rare genetic disorder affecting at least 2,000 people worldwide (Phelan-McDermid Syndrome Foundation, 2019, How rare is Phelan-McDermid?). PMS has many distinguishing characteristics and many medical specialties have been recommended to treat the clinical features. While many therapies, including behavioral therapy, have been speculated to be beneficial in treating PMS, there is little known regarding their effectiveness [Costales, J. L. and Kolevzon, A. 2015. Phelan-McDermid syndrome and SHANK3: Implications for treatment. Neurotherapeutics: The Journal of the American Society for Experimental Neurotherapeutics, 12, 620-630.]. Behavior analysis has the capability to help in many areas of treatment for PMS either directly through, for example, behavior treatment to address aggressive behavior, or through collaborating with other specialties treating PMS by combining, for example, behavioral principles in the alleviation of medical issues such as constipation. Currently, there is a role for the behavior analyst to expand our field and identify effective treatments for those with PMS while we wait for a cure. In this paper, we discuss how medical considerations may affect behavior interventions and make recommendations for the behavior analyst working with PMS.

Negative reinforcer magnitude manipulations for treating escape-maintained problem behavior

The purpose of the current study was to evaluate the effects of different magnitudes of escape for compliance relative to the magnitudes of escape for problem behavior in a concurrent-schedule arrangement. Three individuals who exhibited escape-maintained problem behavior participated. A large differential magnitude condition (240-s escape for compliance, 10-s escape for problem behavior) was compared to equal (30-s escape for compliance and problem behavior) and moderate differential magnitude (90-s escape for compliance, 10-s escape for problem behavior) conditions. The authors also evaluated the impact of correcting for reinforcer access time (i.e., time on escape intervals) on intervention interpretation. For all participants, problem behavior decreased during only the large differential magnitude condition, and including reinforcer access time in the overall session time did not affect interpretation of treatment outcomes. Providing larger escape magnitudes for compliance relative to problem behavior may facilitate treatment involving concurrent-reinforcement schedules for escape-maintained problem behavior.

Impact of language on behavior treatment outcomes

Resurgence of problem behavior following effective functional communication training (FCT) can occur if the functional communication response contacts extinction. For children from dual-language households, extinction may unintentionally occur due to language variations among communication partners. In the current study, the experimenters evaluated the effect of language on FCT outcomes. Participants were 3 children with autism who engaged in problem behavior and whose parents reported Spanish as the primary home language. The experimenters conducted FCT in the English language followed by probes in the Spanish language. Results suggest that functional communication responses (FCRs) learned in the first language (English) may lead to resurgence of problem behavior when English FCRs do not contact reinforcement in the untaught language (e.g., Spanish). Two of the participants required additional teaching in the secondary language (Spanish), while the third participant eventually emitted Spanish FCRs in the Spanish condition without explicit teaching.

Evaluating preference for and reinforcing efficacy of fruits and vegetables compared with salty and sweet foods

Children diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder are often more selective in their food preferences than their typically developing peers. Additionally, many preferred food selections have minimal nutritional value. We evaluated the preference for, and reinforcing efficacy of, fruits and vegetables compared with salty and sweet foods, which are often used as edible reinforcers. Multiple-stimulus preference assessments were conducted to identify preferred foods, and reinforcer assessments were conducted to determine the reinforcing efficacy of more preferred foods. Fruits and vegetables were sometimes preferred over salty or sweet foods and often functioned as reinforcers. Future research should incorporate fruits and vegetables into preference assessments when identifying putative reinforcers.

A comparison of sources of baseline data for treatments of problem behavior following a functional analysis

It is common practice in research on the treatment of problem behavior to compare levels of targeted behaviors during treatment to levels when treatment is not in place. Some researchers use data collected as part of a multielement functional analysis as the initial baseline, whereas others collect new baseline data following completion of the functional analysis. We evaluated whether the source of baseline data influences the reliability and efficiency of decision-making. Results suggest that similar decisions are made in regard to treatment efficacy using the different sources of baseline data, but using data from a multielement functional analysis as baseline may save time. Interrater agreement was adequate, but lower for some graphs than has been observed in past studies. Several potential explanations for this discrepancy are discussed.