Behavior Chain Analysis

Behavior Chain

• A behavior chain represents a sequence of connected responses, ultimately leading to a terminal outcome.
• Every response within the chain triggers stimulus changes functioning as conditioned reinforcement for that specific response and as a discriminative stimulus (SD) for the following response.
• Reinforcement for the final response in a chain is what preserves the reinforcing power of stimulus changes generated by all prior responses.

Key Aspects of Behavior Chains

• Behavior chains involve the execution of a specific, ordered series of individual responses.
• The execution of each behavior produces a stimulus change, serving as conditioned reinforcement for the behavior preceding it and acting as a discriminative stimulus for the subsequent behavior.
• It is important to perform the responses within the chain in a specific sequence and within a close temporal timeframe.

Influences on Behavior Chain Performance

• Difficulty increases if task analysis is incomplete with inappropriately sequenced elements and unidentified discriminative stimuli.
• Task analysis requires planning and anticipation of adjustments like additional prompts.
• Task complexity and length correlate with longer learning times.
• Appropriate schedules of reinforcement are vital for maintaining a chain.
• The number of responses determines the schedule of reinforcement required.
• Introducing variations of discriminative stimuli can benefit learners.
• Response variation should align with changing stimulus conditions to maintain effectiveness.

Communication Training

• Functional Communication Training (FCT) involves the teaching of appropriate communication.
• FCT serves as a replacement for problematic behavior that stems from establishing operations (EO).
• FCT employs differential reinforcement of alternative behavior (DRA).

Extinction

• Extinction is a procedure where reinforcement for a previously reinforced behavior is discontinued.
• The target behavior's future occurrence lessens when reinforcement is halted.
• The target behavior can still occur during an extinction procedure.
• Extinction terminates the existing response-reinforcer relationship.
• For extinction to be effective, its application must correspond to the problem behavior's function.

Technical Term Use

• When used technically, extinction identifies withholding reinforcers from previously reinforced behaviors.
• Extinction identifies a decreasing response rate under an extinction procedure.
• Extinction refers to the functional connection between withholding reinforcement and the resulting decrease in response rate.
• Extinction should not be used to describe any decrease in behavior.
• Extinction should not be confused with forgetting, response blocking, sensory extinction, or noncontingent reinforcement.

Positive Reinforcement Extinction

• Behaviors sustained by positive reinforcement are subject to extinction when reinforcers are absent.

Negative Reinforcement Extinction

• Regarding behaviors driven by negative reinforcement, extinction occurs when the behavior no longer results in the removal of an aversive stimulus.
• Failure to escape an aversive situation is also known as escape extinction.

Automatic Reinforcement Extinction

• Behaviors driven by automatic reinforcement undergo extinction through the masking or elimination of the reinforcing sensory consequence.
• This process is known as sensory extinction.

Post-Extinction Phenomena

• An extinction burst is characterized by an increase in the rate of response immediately following the removal of positive, negative, or automatic reinforcement.
• Extinction-induced variability are diverse and novel behaviors that occur during the extinction process.
• Increased response intensity may be observed during the initial phases of extinction
• Spontaneous recovery is the reappearance of a behavior after it has been diminished to its pre-reinforcement level or stopped entirely.
• Resurgence occurs when a previously reinforced behavior reappears following the termination or reduction of reinforcement for an alternative behavior.
• Emotional outbursts and aggression can be triggered.

Resistance to Extinction

• Resistance to extinction: continued responding during an extinction procedure.
• Measures of resistance to extinction: Declining rate of response , total count of responses emitted, and duration of time required for the behavior to reach a predetermined criterion.
• Intermittent reinforcement can lead to greater resistance to extinction compared to continuous reinforcement schedules.
• Thinner reinforcement schedules typically result in heightened resistance.
• The strength of the establishing operation influences the resistance to extinction.
• Consistent behavior reinforcement can extend resistance to extinction compared to shorter reinforcement periods.
• Extinction is more resistant when it is carried out under high motivation than under low.
• Extinction resistance is most common when a long history of behavior reinforcement is present.
• Resistance to extinction is influenced by the quality and amount of reinforcer.
• Resistance to extinction is influenced by successive conditioning and extinction applications.
• Reapplying the extinction procedure and diminished behavior can cause a reapplication of extinction.
• With successive extinction applications, behavior decreases become more rapid.
• Greater required response effort leads to a quick decline in behavior under extinction versus behaviors with less effort.

Effective Extinction

• Extinction is more effective when it depends on the correct identification of maintaining consequences.
• Extinction is less effective when one source of reinforcement is identified and withheld.
• Consistency is essential for extinction of the behavior.
• Combining extinction with other treatments like reinforcement of alternative behaviors usually increases effectiveness.
• Differential reinforcement and antecedent procedures may reduce extinction bursts and aggression.
• Behavioral decrease can happen more quickly when practitioners describe extinction procedures.
• It is critical that extinction-produced aggression not produce reinforcement
• Increasing trials improves efficiency and is a better accelerating extinction process.
• Include other people to not reinforce the undesirable behavior for maximal effectiveness.
• It is preferred to have a permanent application of extinction for escape, attention, or any sensory stimulus.

Inappropriate Instances of Extinction

• Do not use extinction if a behavior is harmful, all reinforcement sources cannot be withheld, or when a rapid response rate reduction is needed.
• When a behavior is likely to be imitative by others is another instance to avoid using extinction.