Behavior Chain Characteristics

Behavior Chain

• A behavior chain is a linked sequence of responses leading to a terminal outcome
• Each response produces a stimulus change
  • This functions as conditioned reinforcement for that response
  • This also acts as a discriminative stimulus (SD) for the next response in the chain
• Reinforcement for the last response maintains how effective the stimulus changes are
  • It is maintained by all previous responses in the chain

Important Characteristics of a Behavior Chain

• Involves a specific series of discrete responses
• Each behavior in the sequence produces a stimulus change
  • This yields conditioned reinforcement for the prior response
  • This serves as a discriminative stimulus for the next response
• Responses in the chain must be performed in specific sequence, and in close temporal succession

Factors Affecting Performance of Behavior Chains

• The learning is more difficult if the task analysis completeness is lacking
  • Learning the chain is harder if the elements are not sequenced appropriately
  • Learning the chain is harder if the corresponding discriminative stimuli are not identified for each response
• When attempting to develop a task analysis, you need
  • Planning before training
  • Beginning training with the expectation that adjustments or prompts may be needed
• Longer behavior chains require more time to learn
• Complexity affects learning time
• A chain can be maintained if an appropriate schedule of reinforcement is used
• Defining the schedule of reinforcement may require considering the number of responses in a chain
• Introduce all possible variations of the discriminative stimulus the learner will encounter, if possible
• Response variation must occur when stimulus variations occur

Problematic Responding in a Behavior Chain

• SD and response might occur out of sequence
  • If this occurs but is still being reinforced, reexamine the sequences and rearrange them as needed
• Similar SDs might evoke a different (incorrect) response, rearrange SDs to lessen confusion
• Irrelevant SDs in the natural setting might control responding
  • Teach the learner to discriminate critical components from irrelevant ones via discrimination training
• SDs in the natural setting could be different from those in the training setting
• Incorporate natural SDs into the training environment when possible
• conduct some of the training in the natural environment
• Novel stimuli in the environment may interfere with responding
  • Incorporate these stimuli into the training environment and conduct discrimination training

Extinction

• Extinction occurs when reinforcement of a previously reinforced behavior is discontinued
• The occurrence of that behavior decreases in the future
• An extinction procedure does not prevent the target behavior from occurring
• Extinction ends the response-reinforcer relation
• If extinction is used, its form is then matched to the function of the problem behavior
• The intervention is usually effective when the form of extinction matches the function of the problem behavior

Misuses of a Technical Term

• Extinction should be used to identify:
  • Withholding the reinforcer for a previously reinforced behavior
  • A decreasing response rate under an extinction procedure
  • The functional relation between withholding reinforcement for a previously reinforced behavior
• Do not confuse the diminishment rate or response
  • Using extinction does not describe any decrease in behavior
  • Do not confuse forgetting and extinction
  • Do not confuse response blocking and sensory extinction
  • Do not confuse noncontingent reinforcement and extinction

Extinction Semantics

• Using "extinction" to treat refers to it as a behavior change procedure
• Describing Yoshiaki’s call-outs refers to it as a behavioral process
  • The statement is correct if describing a decreasing rate of response during treatment
• Extinction is a principle of behaviour
  • The statement is correct only if an experimental analysis demonstrated a functional relation

Examples of Extinction Semantics

• Audrey’s second-language skills have extinguished
  • This is correct only if Audrey’s attempts to speak Italian since her language class produced no reinforcement
  • Otherwise, it is confusing extinction with forgetting
• Recommending escape extinction as treatment
  • This statement correctly identifies escape extinction as the function-based form of extinction and describes a procedure for implementing it
• Describing Jeremy’s eye rubbing by blocking as extinguishing
  • This confuses response blocking with extinction
  • An extinction procedure would allow Jeremy to rub his eyes, but the responses would not produce the reinforcing stimulation

Ways Extinction is Maintained

• Behaviors maintained by positive reinforcement
  • Placed on extinction when those behaviors do not produce the reinforcer
• Behaviors maintained by negative reinforcement
  • Placed on extinction when those behaviors do not produce removal of the aversive stimulus
  • Also called escape extinction
• Behaviors maintained by automatic reinforcement
  • These are placed on extinction by masking or removing the sensory consequence (Vollmer & Athens, 2011)
  • Also called sensory extinction

Secondary Effects of Extinction

• Extinction Burst
  • This is the immediate increase in rate of response after removing the positive, negative, or automatic reinforcement
  • It is a common effect of the extinction procedure
  • Problem behaviors can worsen during extinction before they show improvement
• Response Variation
  • Diverse and novel forms of behavior are sometimes observed during the extinction process (Kinloch, Foster, & McEwan, 2009; Peleg, Martin, & Hoth, 2017)
  • This is called extinction-induced variability
  • From a layperson’s perspective, it appears that the individual is trying to find new or at least other ways of obtaining reinforcement (Vollmer & Athens, 2011, p. 323)
• Initial Increase in Response Magnitude
  • An increase in response magnitude may occur during the early stages of extinction
• Spontaneous Recovery
  • This is the reappearance of the behavior after it has diminished to its pre-reinforcement level or stopped entirely
  • It is short-lived and limited if the extinction procedure remains in effect
  • The behavior recurs, even though it does not produce reinforcement
• Resurgence
  • The reoccurrence of a previously reinforced behavior when the reinforcement for an alternative behavior is terminated or decreased
  • The three-phase procedure that produces the effect:
    • A target behavior is reinforced
    • The target behavior is placed on extinction and reinforcement provided for an alternative behavior
    • Both responses are placed on extinction
• Emotional Outbursts and Aggression
  • Placing a behavior on extinction may evoke other emotional or aggressive behaviors

Resistance to Extinction

• Continued responding during an extinction procedure
• Three measures of resistance to extinction:
  • Declining rate of response
  • Total count of responses emitted before responding ceases or attains some final low level
  • Duration of time required for the behavior to reach a predetermined criterion

Continuous and Intermittent Reinforcement

• Resistance to extinction as it relates to continuous and intermittent reinforcement:
  • Intermittent reinforcement may produce behavior with greater resistance to extinction than behaviors previously reinforced by continuous reinforcement
  • Some intermittent schedules may produce more persistent responding during extinction than others
  • The thinner the schedule of reinforcement, the greater the resistance

Motivating Operations

• The strength of the establishing operation above the minimum level will influence resistance to extinction
• Resistance to extinction is greater when extinction is carried out under high motivation than under low” (Keller & Schoenfeld, 1950, p. 75)

Number, Magnitude, and Quality of Reinforcement

• A with a long history of reinforcement may have more resistance to extinction than a behavior with a shorter history of reinforcement
• The magnitude and quality of a reinforcer will likely influence the resistance to extinction

Number of Trials

• Successive applications of conditioning and extinction may influence resistance to extinction
  • When this happens, reapply the extinction procedure
  • Behavior diminishes with fewer total responses during a reapplication of extinction
• Decreases become increasingly rapid with each successive application of extinction

Response Effort

• A response requiring greater effort diminishes more quickly during extinction than a response requiring less effort

Ways to Use Extinction Effectively

• Withhold all reinforcers maintaining the problem behavior
  • The effectiveness of extinction depends on the correct identification of the consequences that maintain the problem behavior
  • Behaviors are frequently maintained by multiple sources of reinforcement
  • Identifying and withholding one source of reinforcement may have minimal or no effect on behavior
• Withhold Reinforcement Consistently
  • Consistency is essential for extinction
    • behavior may be placed on an intermittent schedule of reinforcement
  • Makes it more resistant to extinction
• Combine Extinction with Other Procedures
  • Always consider combining extinction with other treatments, especially reinforcing alternative behaviors
  • Effectiveness of extinction may increase combined with other procedures
  • Differential reinforcement and antecedent procedures may reduce extinction bursts and aggression
• Use Instructions
  • Behaviors sometimes diminish more quickly during extinction when practitioners describe the extinction procedure clients
• Plan for Extinction-Produced Aggression
  • Behaviors that occurred infrequently in the past may become more prominent during extinction, often emotional and aggressive
  • Ensure that extinction-produced aggression does not produce reinforcement
• Increase the Number of Extinction Trials
  • Accelerates the extinction process and improves efficiency
  • Increase extinction trials when increased occurrences of the problem behavior can be tolerated during intervention
• Include Significant Others in Extinction
  • ensures that other persons in the environment do not reinforce undesirable behavior so extinction is maximally effective
• Maintain Extinction-Decreased Behavior
  • Permanent application of extinction is preferred
  • Such as escape extinction, attention, extinction, and some sensory ones
• Guard Against Unintentional Extinction
  • Ensure that desirable behaviors do not get unintentionally placed on extinction and continue to be reinforced

When Not to Use Extinction

• Application is not suitable if:
  • the behavior is harmful
  • all sources of reinforcement cannot be withheld
  • a rapid reduction in response rate is required
  • others are likely to imitate the problem behavior