Unit 4 Projects will be returned by Sunday if they were submitted by the deadline Rubrics are at the end of your paper Questions? Antecedent Control Procedures-ch16 Promoting Generalization-ch19 Behavioral Contracts-ch23 The Token Economy (if time permits)-ch22

Antecedent Control Procedures Based on functional assessment information One of three functional, nonaversive interventions (take a look at table 16-1 on p. 378) Manipulating discriminative stimuli (cues) Manipulating establishing operations (EOs) Manipulating response effort Involves altering the environment in advance of the target behavior Addresses antecedents rather than consequences of operant behavior Addresses consequences indirectly through manipulation of establishing operations Increases the probability of the desirable target behavior and decreases the probability of undesirable alternative behavior Also called stimulus control procedures, situational inducement, antecedent modification, and preventative procedures

Quick Review What is an SD? What is an EO? Discriminative stimulus: the stimulus that is present in the environment when a the target behavior is reinforced and increases the momentary frequency of the behavior (it has been associated with reinforcement in the past) What is an EO? Establishing operation: an event that temporarily increases the potency of a specific reinforcer and evokes that behavior that has resulted in the (same) reinforcer in the past Alters how much you “want” the reinforcer and how hard you will “work” to get it Michael J. Distinguishing between discriminative and motivational functions of stimuli. Journal of the Experimental Analysis of Behavior. 1982;37:149–155. [PMC free article][PubMed]

Procedures to Increase the Probability of the Desirable Target Behavior 1. Present SD or cues for desirable behavior 2. Present EO for desirable behavior 3. Decrease response effort for desirable behavior

Present SD or cues for desirable behavior The desirable behavior is under the stimulus control of the SD When the SD is present, the behavior is more likely Cues serve as prompts or reminders

Examples: Presenting SDs or cues Seating arrangement to facilitate conversation in a nursing home Reminder to floss on the bathroom mirror Fruit in the fridge Going to the library to study Activity placemats at restaurants

Present EO for desirable behavior An EO makes the reinforcer for the desirable behavior more potent An EO increases the probability of the desirable behavior

Examples: Presenting EOs No snacks before meal time What does this do? No naps to make sleeping more likely at night Why would this alter the EO?

Decrease response effort for desirable behavior A behavior is more probable when it requires less response effort than does a concurrent operant Response effort may be decreased through environmental manipulation

Examples: Decreasing response effort Recycling box next to desk Healthy foods in easy reach Books in backpack Easy to use car seats

Procedures to Decrease the Probability of Competing (Undesirable) Behavior 1. Remove SDs or cues for competing behaviors 2. Eliminate EOs for competing behaviors 3. Increase response effort for competing behavior

Remove SDs or cues for competing behaviors In the absence of the SD, the competing behavior is less likely Examples: Get junk food out of the house Keep partying friends out of your place at study time

Eliminate EOs for competing behaviors Without an EO, the reinforcer for competing behavior will not be potent Without an EO, the competing behavior is less likely to occur Examples: Noncontingent attention, tangibles, or breaks Provide choice of activities Pain relief Food shopping only after eating

Increase response effort for competing behavior A behavior that requires more response effort than a concurrent operant is less likely Response effort is increased through environmental manipulation Examples: No change in pockets/purse for candy machines No junk food in the house Seat aggressive person away from victim Keep trash can away from desk (recycle box on desk)

Using Antecedent Control Procedures Assess antecedents and consequences for desirable behavior and competing behavior Assess response effort for desirable and competing behaviors Determine which relevant SDs and EOs you can manipulate Determine whether you can manipulate response effort for desirable or competing behaviors

Factors that influence the use of antecedent control procedures Have you identified the relevant antecedents? Can these antecedents be altered? How acceptable will it be to alter these antecedents?

A Token Economy: Involves the systematic use of conditioned reinforcers called tokens Is used to increase desirable behaviors in an educational setting or treatment program May be used with response cost to decrease undesirable behaviors as well

Token Economy-Response Cost? What is the goal of the token economy Increase appropriate behavior? Decrease challenging behavior? Both? When do you implement response cost? Allow the token economy be implemented as a reinforcement-based system first Why?

Token Economy-Considerations Prevent token theft or counterfeiting Present tokens immediately after desirable behavior If response cost is used, can the change agent get the token back Pair token delivery with descriptive praise Fade tokens before the client leaves the program Cannot deprive participants of food or of their basic rights Staff training and implementation (p.505)

Guidelines for Achieving Generalized Reductions in Problem Behaviors (447) Conduct a functional assessment Utilize functional interventions Plan for generalization in advance using known generalization strategies Focus on functionally equivalent alternative behaviors - a constructional approach Maintain extinction (or punishment) contingencies across situations and over time