OverviewoftheBasic

Principlesof
AppliedBehavior
Analysis

KeyPrinciplesofABA
(Kerr&Nelson,2010)

Inmanagingclassroombehavioranddesigninginterven3ons,itis
cri3calthatteachersunderstandtheseprinciples:
Consequencescontrolbehavior
Reinforcementstrengthensormaintainsbehavior
PosiGveReinforcement
NegaGveReinforcement
Consequencesthathavemaintainedbehaviorcanalsoweaken
ordecreasebehaviorbybeingwithheld
ExGncGon
Punishmentalsoweakensbehavior

Establishcon-ngenciesbyconsistentlyandimmediatelyfollowing
targetbehaviorswithconsequences

Usemodelingtostrengthen,weaken,ormaintainbehavior

SystemaGcProceduresforInuencingBehavior
(Consequences)

Increase
PosiGve
Reinforcement

NegaGve
Reinforcement

Decrease
ExGncGon
Punishment

PosiGveReinforcement
EssenGaltoimprovingbehavior
PosiGveReinforcementisthe
Con,ngentpresenta,onofasGmulus,followinga
response,thatincreasestheprobabilityorrateof
theresponse.
(Alberto&Troutman,2009p.217)

PosiGveReinforcers

Typesofreinforcers

Primary:innatelymoGvaGng,natural,unlearned(e.g.,food,
liquids)
Secondary:condiGoned&learned(e.g.,tokens)

SelecGngreinforcers
CannotsayforsuresomethingisareinforcerunGltheimpact
onthebehaviorcanbedetermined
Considerstudentage,reinforcementhistory,development,&
interest

Reinforcersampling
Askstudent
Rankorderbystudent
Distributereinforcermenu
Conductobjectsampling
(Alberto & Troutman, 2009)
ObserveduraGonofgaze,engagement

TypesofReinforcers
Primary Reinforcers

Secondary Reinforcers
Tangible

Consumable

Cookies
Water
Chocolate

Sensory

Warmth
Light
Vibration
Touch

Activity

Social

Exchangeable

Praise
Smile
Thumbs Up

Toy
Clothes
Eraser
Reading
Exercise
Sleeping

Money
Star
Point

ConsideraGonsforusingReinforcers
ReinforcementmustbeconGngent(if.then).
Worktoreplaceprimaryreinforcerswithsecondary
reinforces.
Asmuchaspossible,letstudentselectreinforcers
Assignreinforcertospecictasksorbehaviors(notone
fortheenGreday).
WatchforsignsofsaGaGonandchangereinforcersas
needed.
Decreasethesizeofediblereinforcerstoprevent
saGaGon.
UGlizeschedulesofreinforcementdonotprovidea
reinforcerforeachcorrectresponseorinstanceof
behaviors.

(Alberto & Troutman, 2009)

From:professional_development.gcsnc.com/.../Elementary%20%20Secondary%20Reinforcer%20Menu%20With%20Key.doc

From: professional_development.gcsnc.com/.../Elementary%20- %20Secondary%20Reinforcer%20Menu%20With%20Key.doc

VisualMenus

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SchedulesofReinforcement
Timingpabernsfordeliveryofreinforcement
Whenteachingandestablishinganewbehavior,
reinforceeachinstance(i.e.,conGnuousreinforcement)
Onceabehaviorisestablished,makereinforcementless
predictable
Movefromhighratesofreinforcementtovariablerates
Becarefulnottoreducethereinforcementtooquickly

Intermibentreinforcementreferstoreinforcementthat
isnotgivenforeachinstanceofaresponse

(Alberto&Troutman,2009;Kerr&Nelson,2010)

SchedulesofReinforcement

SchedulesofReinforcement
Con,nuousreinforcement:everyinstanceofa
behaviorisreinforced
IntermiAentreinforcement:somenotallresponses
arereinforced

RaGoschedules:Reinforcementisbasedonthenumberof
behaviorsrequired
Intervalschedules:Reinforcementisbasedonthepassageof
Gme
DuraGonschedules:Reinforcementisbasedonthe
conGnuedperformanceofaresponseforaperiodofGme
Fixedschedules:Therequirementsforreinforcementare
alwaysthesame
Variableschedules:Therequirementsforreinforcement
changerandomly
(Alberto & Troutman, 2009)

NegaGveReinforcement
TheconGngentremovalofanaversivesGmulusimmediately
followingaresponsethatincreasedthefuturerateand/or
probabilityoftheresponse.
(Alberto&Troutman,2009,p.254)

Examples:
Stevewillputonseatbelttostopbuzzer.
Lukewillcleanuphisroomtostopescapeparentnagging.
Markcompleteshisworktoavoidhavingtostayinthe
classroomduringPE.

Theterm reinforcement meansabehaviorwillincrease

BothposiGveandnegaGvereinforcementareassociatedwith
increasesinbehavior

(Alberto & Troutman, 2009)

Whatthingsareaversive
tostudentsintheclassroom?

Certainacademictasks
Certainpeers
UnclearteachersdirecGons
NaggingornegaGveteachers

Studentmaymisbehaveto escape theseaversive

s-muli.Ifallowedto escape andtheteacher
observesanincreaseindisrup-vebehavior,the
student sdisrup-vebehaviorshavebeennega-vely
reinforced(i.e.,theaversives-mulihasbeen
removed).
(Alberto & Troutman, 2009)

NegaGveReinforcement
Becareful.Considerthisscenario
Teachergivesstudentanassignment(the
assignmentisaversivetothestudent)
StudentisdisrupGve
Teacherremoveswork(i.e.,removesaversivesGmulus)
TeacherhasnegaGvelyreinforcedthedisrupGvebehavior
ThenextGmetheteacherpresentsthework,thecycleis
repeatedbecausethestudenthaslearnedthatdisrupGon
worksingehngtheteachertoremovetheassignment.

Teachersneedtounderstandhowtheirbehavior
reinforcesandteachesthewrongstudentbehaviors
(Alberto & Troutman, 2009)

EecGveUseofNegaGve
Reinforcement
IfstudentsaremoGvatedby
escapefromoravoidanceof
aversivesGmuli,teach
studentsamoreappropriate
wayto escape or avoid
Forexample:Teach
studentstorequesta
breakoraskforhelp

ExGncGon
Withholdingreinforcementfor
previouslyreinforcedbehaviorto
REDUCEtheoccurrenceofthe
behavior
(Alberto&Troutman,2009,p.424)

Mostojenusedtodecreaseproblem
behaviorsthathavebeen
reinforced/maintainedbyteacher
abenGon

ConsideraGonsforExGncGon
ExGncGonisnotafastwaytodecreaseabehavior
TargetedbehaviorwilltypicallyconGnuebeforeitdecreases(i.e.,resistance
toexGncGon)
Targetedbehaviormayincreaseorgetworsebeforeitdecreases(i.e.,
exGncGonburst)

SomestudentsmayrespondtoexGncGonwithaggression(i.e.,
exGncGoninducedaggression)

ExGnguishedbehaviormaytemporarilyreappearatsomepoint(i.e.,
spontaneousrecovery)
Peersmayalsobereinforcingatargetbehavior

ExGnguishedbehaviorsdonotgeneralizetoothersehngswell
(Alberto&Troutman,2009)

EecGveUseofExGncGon
UseexGncGoninconjuncGonwiththe
reinforcementofappropriatebehaviors
Rememberthatan absence ofbehaviorisnotthegoalofclassroom
management.Instead,thegoalisforstudentstolearnandusesocially
appropriatebehavior.

OnceabehaviorhasbeenputonexGncGon,donot
reinforcethiswillonlymakeithardertoeventually
exGnguish
TocontrolforpeerabenGon,peerscanbe
reinforcedforwithholdingabenGonforproblem
behavior
ToincreasegeneralizaGon,adultsinmulGplesehngs
mustalsouseexGncGon

Punishment
TheconGngentpresentaGonofa
sGmulusimmediatelyfollowinga
response,whichdecreasesthe
futurerateorprobabilityofthe
response (Alberto&Troutman,
2009,p.426).
Example:Timeoutfromfreeplay
(preferredacGvity)ajerhihng;
hihngdecreases
Tobedenedasa punisher ,
theremustbeadecreaseinthe
behavior
(Alberto & Troutman, 2009)

ConsideraGonsforPunishment
BenetsofPunishment
Stopsbehavior
InstrucGvetopeers

DisadvantagesofPunishment

Punishment should
be used on
a limited basis and
in conjunction with
procedures
to increase socially
acceptable behavior

Overuse
NegaGveselfesteem
Withdrawalorescape
IncreaseinaggressionandanGsocialbehavior
PeerreacGons
Damagesstudent/teacherrelaGonships
Whatisthestudentlearning?

KeyBehavioralPrinciples
Stimuli

Increase

Decrease

Presented

Positive
Reinforcement

Punishment

Removed

Negative
Reinforcement

Extinction

Behavior principles can only be identified

by their impact on behavior

References
Alberto,P.A.,&Troutman,A.C.(2009).Appliedbehavioranalysis
forteachers(8thed.).UpperSaddleRiver,NJ:Merrill.
Kerr,M.M.,&Nelson,C.M.(2010).Strategiesforaddressing
behaviorproblemsintheclassroom(6thed.).Boston,MA:
Pearson.