Transcript Maintaining Behavior Change Dr. Alan H. Teich Chapter 10

Maintaining
Behavior Change
Chapter 10
Relapses in Behavior
• Why they occur
• When they occur
• Reinforcement thinning
Page 2
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
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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
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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
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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”
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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
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PRF Effect
• PRF seems to create greater resistance to
extinction than CRF
• Variable schedules are more resistant to
extinction than fixed schedules of reinforcement
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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
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Increasing Natural Reinforcement and
Enhancing Generalization
• Available reinforcers
– Social reinforcers
• Antecedents
– Fade prompts
• Widen stimulus control
– General case training
• Self-regulation
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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
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Tips on Maintaining Behavior Change
• Focus interventions on behavior that will be
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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
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