Maintaining Behavior Change Chapter 10

1
Maintaining Behavior ChangeChapt
er 10
2
Relapses in Behavior

• Why they occur
• When they occur
• Reinforcement thinning

3
Schedules of Reinforcement

• Continuous reinforcement (CRF) vs. partial
  (intermittent) reinforcement (PRF)
• PRF schedules
• ratio schedules reinforce based on the number of
  responses that occur
• fixed-ratio schedules define a constant number of
  required responses
• variable-ratio schedules vary the number of
  responses that must occur

4
Schedules of Reinforcement (continued)

• PRF schedules
• interval schedules reinforce the first response
  after a period of time has passed
• fixed-interval schedules reinforce the first
  response after a fixed amount of time has passed
  since the last reinforcer was delivered
• variable-interval schedules reinforce the first
  response after varying periods of time since the
  last reinforcer was delivered

5
Schedules of Reinforcement (continued)

• Duration schedules require that a behavior occur
  for a period of time before being reinforced
• Schedules can be combined to create more complex
  schedules of reinforcement

6
Effects of Ratio Schedules

• Ratio schedules maintain high rates of responding
• variable-ratio schedules maintain higher rates
  than fixed-ratio schedules
• fixed-ratio schedules maintain a
  post-reinforcement pause
• Generally, as response requirements increase, so
  do rates of responding
• Too high a requirement causes ratio strain

7
Effects of Interval Schedules

• Interval schedules maintain moderate rates of
  responding
• fixed-interval schedules maintain rates that
  accelerate through each interval
• fixed-interval schedules maintain a scalloped
  pattern of responding
• variable interval schedules maintain consistent,
  moderate rates through each interval

8
PRF Effect

• PRF seems to create greater resistance to
  extinction than CRF
• Variable schedules are more resistant to
  extinction than fixed schedules of reinforcement

9
Delaying Reinforcement

• Delays in reinforcement interfere with
  acquisition of behavior
• After a behavior is established, the introduction
  of brief delays may serve to strengthen behavior
• Such delays make behavior more resistant to
  extinction

10
Increasing Natural Reinforcement and Enhancing
Generalization

• Available reinforcers
• Social reinforcers
• Antecedents
• Fade prompts
• Widen stimulus control
• General case training
• Self-regulation

11
Posttreatment Programs

• Booster programs offer refresher sessions
• Marlatt's lapse prevention method teaches relapse
  prevention in three steps
• learn to identify high-risk situations
• acquire coping skills
• practice coping skills in high-risk settings

12
Tips on Maintaining Behavior Change

• Focus interventions on behavior that will be
  useful in the person's natural environment
• Associate new behaviors with antecedents common
  to the natural environment
• Monitor behavior carefully when introducing new
  treatments
• Thin to a variable schedule of reinforcement
• Assess potential natural reinforcers prior to
  completion of intervention
• Target behaviors should be applicable to everyday
  life