• Refine Query
  • Source
  • Publication year
  • to
  • Language
  • No language data
  • Tagged with
  • 1
  • 1
  • 1
  • 1
  • 1
  • 1
  • 1
  • 1
  • 1
  • 1
  • About
  • The Global ETD Search service is a free service for researchers to find electronic theses and dissertations. This service is provided by the Networked Digital Library of Theses and Dissertations.
    Our metadata is collected from universities around the world. If you manage a university/consortium/country archive and want to be added, details can be found on the NDLTD website.
1

Manipulating Parameters of Reinforcement to Reduce Problem Behavior without Extinction

Kunnavatana, Soraya Shanun 01 May 2014 (has links)
Research has demonstrated that function-based interventions are most effective for addressing problem behavior. However, many function-based interventions, such as differential reinforcement of alternative behavior (DRA), rely on extinction procedures. Extinction is not feasible in all cases and can be counter-therapeutic if implemented without optimal treatment integrity. Researchers have successfully implemented DRA without extinction when various parameters of reinforcement (rate, quality, magnitude, immediacy) have been manipulated to favor alternative behavior; that is, participants engaged in higher rates of alternative behavior when reinforcement was delivered contingent on both alternative and problem behavior, but the alternative response produced better reinforcement in terms of rate, quality, magnitude, or immediacy. Parameter sensitivity, however, has been found to be idiosyncratic and therefore warrants individual assessment. Previous researchers have assessed individual sensitivities to parameters of reinforcement in the context of problem behavior; however, this resulted in problem behavior occurring during assessment, which could be problematic given severe problem behavior. The purpose of this study was to use arbitrary responses to assess individual sensitivities to quality, magnitude, and immediacy of reinforcement maintaining problem behavior and use the results to implement an intervention for problem behavior without extinction. The results indicate that arbitrary responses may be used to identify individual sensitivities to parameters of reinforcement that maintains problem behavior. Additionally, interventions were more effective when parameters for which participants were most sensitive were manipulated than when parameters for which participants were least sensitive were manipulated.

Page generated in 0.1156 seconds