Other Schedules of Reinforcement and Punishment

Differential Schedules

Also called Differentiation or IRT schedules. Usually used with reinforcement

Used where the reinforcer depends BOTH on time and the number of reinforcers.

Provides an intervention for behavior problems associated with rate of response.

Can be very effective in producing or reducing behavior.

Interresponse Time ( IRT)

Is the time that occurs between two responses

IRT and rate of responding are functionally related Long IRT schedules produce low rates of

responding Short IRT schedules produce high rates

of responding

Differentiation Rate of High Responding (DRH)

Have to respond at a high rate within a certain amount of time.

Examples 1. Need to complete 25 math problems within 30 minutes

You work your tail off to get them done and receive recess for 15 minutes

2. Must sell 15 car in the next 10 days Work hard, get them sold and receive a $15,000 bonus

Is very effective - Get very high rates of responding.

Variations of DRH

Full Session DRH Provides reinforcement if the total

number of responses during the session meets or exceeds a number criterion across the entire session

Interval Session DRH Reinforcement is available only for

responses that over during short periods of time during the session. (Get additional bonuses during the 10 day session)

Issues

Cannot make the level to high If the organism does not respond

enough, it will receive less reward and ultimately decrease their response rate.

Sell 25 cars in 10 days

Responding looks like an FI schedule.

Work hard, get cars sold, then you take a break.

Differentiation Rate of Low Responding DRL

Sometimes referred to as Spaced-Responding DRH or Space-responding DRL

Is designed to create low levels of responding during a particular time period.

A period of time must elapse with few or responses of the undesired behavior. (Number of responses is defined by the schedule)

E.g., Don’t want a child to act out in class. Give the kid a reinforcer when acting out responses are low

during a particular time period.

Will give low rates of responding.

Variations

Full Session DRL Provides reinforcement if the total

number of responses during the entire session is at or below some level

Interval Session DRL Reinforcement is available only for lack

of responding during short intervals of time during the entire session

Attributes

Works well in applied settings. Schools Group homes Other

Differentiation Rates of Responding for Other Behaviors (DRO)

Provide reinforcement only in the absence of a response in a specified period of time

No acting out for the next hour and you get 15 minutes of recess.

Differential Reinforcement of Alternative Behavior (DRA)

Is similar to DRO Inappropriate behavior is replaced by

reinforcing alternative behaviorsDecreases inappropriate behavior

Differential Reinforcement of Incompatible Behavior (DRI)

Also similar to DRO Reinforce a behavior that is

incompatile with the targeted behavior Reduce out of seat behavior by

reinforcing in seat behavior

Points to Note for Differentiation Schedules

Cannot make the schedule to thin initially

If the organism cannot get reinforced, may not get the desired response May get alternative reinforcement for

others

Progressive Schedules of Reinforcement

Systematically thins each successive reinforcement opportunity independent of the participant’s behavior. ▪ Progressive Ratio Schedules of Reinforcement

(PR)▪ Progressive Interval Schedules of

Reinforcement (PI)

Systematically increase the ratio or interval requirements for reinforcement

Differential Reinforcement of Diminishing Rates

Similar to a DRL schedule

Get reinforced for the lack of responding over a period of time Reinforced for only 5 outbursts in 30

minutes Then reinforced for only 4 outbursts in

30 minutes Etc.

Compound Schedules of Reinforcement

Combine elements of continuous, intermittent, or differential reinforcement

Requires the participant to choose between two or more stimuli

Arranging two or more reinforcers for the participant to choose from contingent upon the occurrence of a target behavior.

The Matching Law

Rate of responding typically is proportional to the rate of reinforcement received from each choice alternative.

Subject Performance

Concurrent interval schedules – participants typically do not allocate all of their responses exclusively to the richer schedule.

Concurrent ratio schedules – participants are sensitive to the ratio schedules an tend to maximize reinforcement by responding primarily to the ratio that produces the higher rate of reinforcement.

Discriminative Schedules of Reinforcement

Presents two or more basic schedules of reinforcement in an alternating, usually random, sequence.

Basic schedules occur successively and independently.

A discriminative stimulus is correlated with each basic schedule and is present as long as the schedule is in effect

Non-discriminative Schedules of Reinforcement

Mixed Schedules (mix) Identical to multiple schedules, except

the mixed schedule has no discriminative stimuli correlated with the independent schedules

Example: mix FR 10 FI 1 schedule

Things to note

Need to monitor the behavior and develop a baseline

Implement the intervention based on some particular schedule

Monitor the outcome and determine if the behavior has changed. If not, examine the behavior

If the behavior changes, after the behavior is stable, change the schedule

Do not change until the behavior is stable

Conclusions

Lots of schedules Make sure you understand them Consider the schedule BEFORE you

begin planning your intervention When will you change it, how will you

thin it, etc.