differential reinforcement & differential punishment chapter 7

Differential Reinforcement & Differential Punishment

Chapter 7

Selecting Behaviors

• Already in repertoire of behavior

• Selecting and strengthening particular responses using contingencies

Tennis Forehand Return

Before Intervening

• Task Analysis– Look at process, not just the final product

Task Analysis

• An analysis of complex behavior and sequences of behavior into their component responses

Task Analysis

Tennis Forehand Return1. Pivot

2. Step toward net with left foot

3. Transfer weight from right to left foot

Tennis Forehand in Repertoire?

• Yes

• Forehand poor?

• Ready to intervene

Differential Reinforcement

Before

John has no praise

Behavior

John hits ball with no skill

Behavior

John hits ball with some skill

After

John receives no praise

After

John receives praise

Reinforcement

Extinction

Differential-Reinforcement Procedure

• Reinforce one set of responses while extinguishing another set of responses

http://www.tagteach.com/

Differential Reinforcement

Before

Jane has no tag

Behavior

Jane holds leg unparallel to bar

Behavior

Jane holds leg parallel to bar

After

Jane receives no tag

After

Jane receives TAG

Reinforcement

Extinction

General Rule: Process vs. Product

• Sometimes you need to make reinforcers and feedback contingent on the component responses of the process, not just the product (outcome).

• Do this when you can’t get quality products of sufficient quantity even though you’ve made reinforcers and feedback contingent on the ultimate production of those products.

Example

• I praise him each time he finishes packing a box. But he is slow, and when he does get a box packed, it is poorly done. – Task analyze the task & make reinforcers and

feedback contingent on correct completion of component parts.

– First component could be placing box close to items to be packed.

Swinging

Swings

• Each swing had a different response topography

• Response topography is a response dimension

Response Dimensions (Form)

• The physical properties of a response– Response topography– Latency– Duration– Force– Pitch

• Does not include the function of a response

Response Topography

• The sequence (path of movement), form, or location of components of a response relative to the rest of the body.

• EX: Wave hands high vs. wave hands low = 2 different response topographies

• Not what you do, but the way you do it (more than 1 way to press a lever)

Topography

• Don’t confuse with location

• Response location refers to where the action is relative to the the external environment, not relative to the body of the actor

Left lever pressing

• Response topography or response location?

Right lever pressingVs.

Press lever with left paw vs. right paw

Response topography or response location?

Other response dimensions

• Force – how loud is your voice, how hard is the ball hit

• Latency – time between the signal for a response and the beginning of the response

• Duration – the time from the beginning to the end of a response

You start to brake

Red light

Car stops

Latency Duration

1.5 sec 20 sec

Response Class

• A set of responses that either – A) are similar on at least one response

dimension or– B) share the effects of reinforcement and

punishment, or– C) serve the same function (produce the same

outcome).

Lever Presses

• Do they all look exactly alike?– Members of the same response class

• All are 35 grams of pressure (same force), lever is pressed downward

• Reinforcing any lever press reinforces many similar responses (spread of reinforcing effect)

• All lever presses result in food

Response Class

• A set of responses that either – A) are similar on at least one response dimension or

(LP are 35 grams of pressure [same force], lever is pressed downward)

– B) share the effects of reinforcement and punishment, (Reinforcing any lever press reinforces many similar responses [spread of reinforcing effect]), or

– C) serve the same function (produce the same outcome) (All lever presses result in food)

Share effects

• Can lever press with left paw but can also press lever with other body parts (different topographies) – these responses are the members of the same response class because they share the effects of reinforcement.

• Example: Girl is picking flowers. Mother praises flower picking. What has been reinforced?

Share same function

• Produce the same reinforcing outcome – lever pressing with right or left paw produce reinforcement – the both serve the same function, so are members of the same response class.

Response Class

A set of responses that either:

• Similar on at least 1 response dimension

• Serve the same function (produce the same outcome)

• Share the effects of reinforcement & punishment

Differential-Reinforcement Procedure

• Reinforcing one set of responses and extinguishing another set of responses

Result of Differential Reinforcement?

• Response differentiation– The reinforced response class occurs more

frequently than an extinguished response class, usually as a result of differential reinforcement.

Example

• What do you talk about with other people?– Talk about sports with friends– Talk about grades with parents

Differential Reinforcement

Before

Client has no approval Behavior

Client whines confusedly

Behavior

Client is positive and clear

After

Client receives no approval

After

Client receives approval

Reinforcement

Extinction

Differential Reinforcement

Before

Bobbie gets no praise Behavior

Bobbie acts feminine

Behavior

Bobbie acts in a masculine manner

After

Bobbie receives no praise

After

Bobbie receive praise

Reinforcement

Extinction

Differential Reinforcement of Creativity

Before

Girl has no praise

Behavior

Girl copies previous building

Behavior

Girl builds novel building

After

Girl receives no praise

After

Girl receive praise

Reinforcement

Extinction

Differential Reinforcement by Escape from an Aversive Condition

Before

Sid hears noisy computer Behavior

Sid pushes wrong key on computer

Behavior

Sid pushes correct key on his computer

After

Sid hears his noisy computer

After

Sid hear no noisy computer

Reinforcement

Extinction

Plain Reinforcement

Before

John has no points

Behavior

John makes any comment

After

John receives a point

Differential Reinforcement

Before

John has no points

Behavior

John makes irrelevant comment

Behavior

John makes a relevant comment

After

John receives no point

After

John receives point

Reinforcement

Extinction

Differential Punishment Procedure

• Punishing one set of responses and withholding punishment of another set of responses.

Differential Punishment

Before

Carmen need not repeat stairs

Behavior

Carmen looks ahead while descending

Behavior

Carmen looks down while descending

After

Carmen needn’t repeat stairs

After

Carmen must repeat stairs

Punishment

Recovery

Graphs – undifferentiated responding

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

Num

ber

of L

ever

Pre

sses

Rpaw

ear tail Lpaw

nose side butt

lever presses

Won’t be reinforced

Will be reinforced

Graphs – after differential reinforcement for pressing lever with butt

0

2

4

6

8

10

12

14

16

18

Num

ber

of L

ever

Pre

sses

Rpaw

ear tail Lpaw

nose side butt

lever presses

Combination of Contingencies

• Differential reinforcement

• Differential punishment

Research Methods

• Improving the reversal design– Using variable-time stimulus presentation as a

control condition

Research Methods

• Single-participant research design– One participants

– Can be repeated with many participants

• Group research design– At least 2 GROUPS of

participants

– Group mean data

– Combined performance of the groups

• Control

• Experimental