Newman Zoe A, Roscoe Eileen M, Errera Nancy P, Davis Caleb R
Department of Psychology, Western New England University.
The New England Center for Children.
J Appl Behav Anal. 2021 Jun;54(3):984-1000. doi: 10.1002/jaba.821. Epub 2021 Mar 5.
Noncontingent reinforcement (NCR) involves the delivery of maintaining reinforcers on a time-dependent schedule and often includes extinction. However, arbitrary reinforcers may be equally efficacious during NCR without extinction for treating escape-maintained problem behavior. The purpose of this study was to extend previous research on NCR by evaluating the relative efficacy of NCR without extinction and comparing maintaining versus arbitrary reinforcers for 4 individuals with escape-maintained problem behavior. Two different NCR conditions, NCR using the maintaining reinforcer (escape) and NCR using an arbitrary reinforcer (an edible), were evaluated using multielement and reversal designs. Treatment effects varied across participants. Results for 2 participants showed a reduction in problem behavior during NCR without extinction with both the arbitrary and maintaining reinforcers. For 1 participant, results showed a reduction in problem behavior with both the arbitrary and maintaining reinforcers only when extinction was added to NCR. For the 4th participant, the maintaining reinforcer was effective during NCR without extinction, but the arbitrary reinforcer was ineffective.
非连续性强化（NCR）涉及按照时间依赖的时间表提供维持性强化物，且通常包括消退。然而，在不进行消退的NCR期间，任意强化物对于治疗逃避维持的问题行为可能同样有效。本研究的目的是通过评估不进行消退的NCR的相对有效性，并比较4名有逃避维持问题行为的个体使用维持性强化物与任意强化物的情况，来扩展先前关于NCR的研究。使用多元素和反转设计评估了两种不同的NCR条件，即使用维持性强化物（逃避）的NCR和使用任意强化物（一种可食用物品）的NCR。治疗效果因参与者而异。2名参与者的结果显示，在不进行消退的NCR期间，使用任意强化物和维持性强化物时问题行为均减少。对于1名参与者，结果表明只有在将消退添加到NCR时，使用任意强化物和维持性强化物时问题行为才会减少。对于第4名参与者，维持性强化物在不进行消退的NCR期间有效，但任意强化物无效。
