In this brief blog article, we will examine the different types of differential reinforcement.  This article is useful for registered behavior technicians (RBT) or students who are studying to become board certified behavior analysts (BCBAs). Understanding (Applied Behavior Analysis) ABA terms is critical for both being an effective ABA therapist and passing your BCBA exam. In an effort to help you study for your BCBA exam more effectively, this post is written in a “study note” form rather than as a long form blog post. They are my personal study notes I am sharing with you as a gift. I ..read more

Description: Description is the first level of scientific understanding. Description is made possible through observations that can be classified and quantified. When observing a behavior, a practitioner can then describe what the behavior looks like. This is essential for further scientific understanding. An example of this is if the practitioner observes little Suzie wave to her friend after hearing her name called, then the practitioner can then report that the behavior of waving was followed by someone calling her name. Using ABC contingencies to observe behavior leads to detailed descript ..read more

Restitutional Overcorrection: A Positive Punishment Procedure As avid learners of ABA, we are quick to find out that there are a lot of terms to remember, but on top of that it’s important to be able to associate terms with a bigger category. Well, here’s one of them….restitutional overcorrection falls under the category of positive punishment. This is because the punishing agent is adding something in order to decrease the future frequency of problem behavior.  In restitutional overcorrection contingent on the problem behavior, the learner is required to repair the damage caused by the ..read more

Tact Extensions: There Are Many Ways To Label Something! Tact Extensions: Once a tact has been established, the tact response can occur under novel stimulus conditions through the process of stimulus generalization. In other words, there are many ways to label one stimuli. Skinner (1957) identifies four different levels of generalization based on the degree to which novel stimuli share the relevant or defining features of the original stimulus. These four types of tact extensions are generic, metonymical, solistic, and metaphorical. Generic Tact Extension: A tact evoked by a novel stimulus t ..read more

Establishing Operations vs. Abolishing Operations Establishing operations are motivating operations that momentarily increase the effectiveness of some stimulus, object or event as a reinforcer. For example,food deprivation establishes food as an effective reinforcer. An abolishing operations do the opposite as they are motivating operations that momentarily decrease the effectiveness of some stimulus, object or event as a reinforcer.  For example, food satiation establishes food as not an effective reinforcer. In other words; when you're full you're not going to find food very motivati ..read more

What is a behavior trap and how do you use it effectively? Behavior traps are powerful contingencies of reinforcement with four defining features: Clients are “baited” with virtually irresistible reinforcers Only a low effort response already in the clients repertoire is needed to enter the trap Interrelated contingencies of reinforcement inside the trap motivate the student to acquire, extend, and maintain targeted skills Traps can remain effective for a long period of time Behavior traps are a wonderful way to have clients acquire new skills and also are very effective at promoting ..read more

Automatic Reinforcement: Auto = Self! Automatic reinforcement refers to reinforcement that occurs independent of the social mediation of others. Response products that function as automatic reinforcement are often in the form of a naturally produced sensory consequence that, “sound good, looks good, tastes good, smells good, feels good to touch, or the movements itself is good.” (Rincover, 1981; Cooper, Heron, and Heward, 2019). An example would be scratching an insect bite to relieve the itchy sensation you are feeling. With automatic reinforcement, the person is able to reinforce themselves ..read more

Overview: Sequence effects occur when the effects of an intervention from one condition carry over into the next condition. Sequence effects are typically the result of a multiple treatment reversal design or a B-A-B reversal design. Sequence effects can skew the data in the following condition because the data is not going to display an accurate depiction of what is really happening. In order to reduce this you would need to continue to take data until the sequence effects subside. The experimental design used to minimize sequence effects would be an alternating treatment design where all tr ..read more

Compound Schedules of Reinforcement: Defined and Applied In Applied Behavior Analysis practitioners can combine two or more basic schedules of reinforcement to form compound schedules of reinforcement. These schedules consist of continuous reinforcement, intermittent schedules of reinforcement, differential reinforcement of various rates of responding and extinction. It is important to note that basic compound schedules can occur simultaneously or successively and can occur with or without an SD. There are various types of compound schedules of reinforcement, continue reading below to find out ..read more

Functional Analysis: Find The Function Of The Challenging Behavior! A functional analysis is the part of the Functional Behavior Assessment (FBA) process that confirms the hypothesis as to what the function of the challenging behavior is. This is the hardest part of the FBA as it yields the most information and consists of experimentally manipulating the environment to test for the function of the challenging behavior. Antecedents and consequences representing those in the client's natural environment are arranged so that their separate effects on problem behavior can be observed and measured ..read more