Queens College and The Graduate Center, City University of New York, New York, USA.
J Appl Behav Anal. 2023 Apr;56(2):470-482. doi: 10.1002/jaba.973. Epub 2023 Jan 29.
Procedural arrangements of differential reinforcement of alternative behavior without extinction often involve presenting the same reinforcers for problem behavior and appropriate behavior, which is typically ineffective at reducing problem behavior and increasing an alternative response. However, manipulating reinforcement dimensions such that the contingencies favor the alternative response may improve treatment outcomes when using differential reinforcement of alternative behavior without extinction by increasing appropriate behavior and reducing problem behavior. We conducted this translational study with 32 college students completing a button-pressing task on a computer program in which they could engage in analogs to problem behavior and appropriate behavior. The effects of manipulating magnitude, immediacy, quality, and a combination of all three dimensions for the alternative response were evaluated. Overall, all dimension manipulations reduced the analog to problem behavior, with the largest reductions observed during the quality probe and the probe with all dimensions combined. These results support the notion that differential reinforcement of alternative behavior without extinction can be an effective form of treatment.
替代行为的差别强化程序安排通常涉及对问题行为和适当行为提供相同的强化物，这通常在减少问题行为和增加替代反应方面效果不佳。然而，通过增加适当行为和减少问题行为来操纵强化维度，使替代反应的条件更有利，可能会改善使用无消退替代行为差别强化的治疗效果。我们对 32 名大学生进行了这项转化研究，他们在一个计算机程序上完成按钮按压任务，在这个程序中，他们可以进行问题行为和适当行为的模拟。评估了对替代反应的幅度、即时性、质量和所有三个维度的组合进行操纵的效果。总的来说，所有维度的操纵都减少了对问题行为的模拟，在质量探测和所有维度组合的探测中观察到的减少最大。这些结果支持了这样一种观点，即无消退替代行为的差别强化可以是一种有效的治疗形式。
