Behavior Chains

Behavior Chain

• A behavior chain is a linked sequence of responses leading to a terminal outcome.
• Stimulus change functions as conditioned reinforcement for that response.
• A discriminative stimulus (SD) for the next response in the chain is effected via stimulus change.
• Reinforcement for the last response in a chain maintains the reinforcing stimulus changes produced by all previous responses.

Characteristics of a Behavior Chain

• Involves performing a specific series of discrete responses.
• Each behavior produces a stimulus change with conditioned reinforcement for the preceding response.
• This is called a discriminative stimulus for the next response.
• Responses within the chain must be performed in a specific sequence and in close temporal succession.

Factors Affecting Performance of Behavior Chains

• Learning the chain is more difficult if the elements are not sequenced appropriately.
• Learning the chain is more difficult if the corresponding discriminative stimuli are not identified for each response.
• Planning must occur before training.
• Begin training with the expectation that adjustments or intrusive prompts may be needed.
• Longer or more complex behavior chains take more time to learn than shorter or less complex chains.
• A chain is maintained with an appropriate reinforcement schedule.
• The number of responses in a chain is a factor when defining the reinforcement schedule.
• Introduce all possible variations of the discriminative stimulus.
• When stimulus variations occur, response variation must also occur to produce the same effect.

Problematic Responding in a Behavior Chain

• An SD and response might occur out of sequence, thus sequences throughout the behavior chain should be reexamined.
• Similar SDs might evoke an incorrect response, mitigate confusion by rearranging problematic SDs.
• Irrelevant SDs in the natural setting might control responding, so teach the learner to discriminate via discrimination training.
• SDs in the natural setting could differ from those in training, so incorporate natural SDs into the training environment and conduct some training in the natural environment.
• Novel stimuli in the environment may compete or interfere with responding, so incorporate these stimuli into the training environment.

Extinction

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

Technical Term Usages

• Extinction applies when withholding the reinforcer for a previously reinforced behavior.
• Extinction applies when there is a decreasing response rate under an extinction procedure.
• Extinction applies when there is a functional relation after withholding reinforcement for a previously reinforced behavior and the resultant response diminishes.
• Extinction is misused when referring to any decrease in behavior.
• Extinction is misused when confusing forgetting processes, response blocking and sensory extinction.
• Extinction is misused when confusing noncontingent reinforcement.

Extinction Semantics

• Using "extinction" to treat refers to it as a behavior change procedure.
• Yoshiaki’s call-outs undergoing extinction defines it as a behavioral process.
• Extinction decreasing Yoshiaki's call outs means it functions as a principle of behavior.
• Audrey's second-language skills extinguished may mean she has not been reinforced.
• If Audrey’s Italian was weakened by lack of opportunity, confusing it with forgetting.
• Using escape extinction correctly identifies escape extinction as the function-based form of extinction and describes a procedure.
• Jeremy’s eye rubbing being extinguished confuses response blocking with extinction.

Extinction by Reinforcement Type

• Behaviors maintained by positive reinforcement are placed on extinction when those behaviors do not produce the reinforcer.
• Behaviors maintained by negative reinforcement are placed on extinction when those behaviors do not produce a removal of the aversive stimulus.
• This is also called escape extinction.
• Automatic reinforcement behaviors are extinguished with sensory consequence by masking or removing the sensory consequence.
• The latter is referred to as sensory extinction.

Secondary Effects of Extinction

• An extinction burst is the immediate increase in rate of response after removing positive, negative, or automatic reinforcement.
• Extinction bursts are a common effect, where problem behaviors can worsen before they improve.
• Response variation describes diverse and novel forms of behavior that are observed during the extinction process.
• This is called extinction-induced variability.
• Initial increase in response magnitude may occur during the early stages of extinction.
• Spontaneous recovery is the reappearance of the occurred behavior, of which is short-lived and limited.
• Resurgence is the reoccurrence of a previously reinforced behavior is terminated.

Variable Affecting Resistance to Extinction

• Resistance to extinction is continued responding during an extinction procedure.
• Three measures of resistance to extinction pertain to declining rate of response, total count of responses emitted before responding ceases, and duration of time.
• Intermittent reinforcement may produce behavior with greater resistance to extinction than with continuous reinforcement.
• The thinner the schedule of reinforcement, the greater the resistance.
• “…resistance to extinction is greater when extinction is carried out under high motivation than under low” (Keller & Schoenfeld, 1950, p. 75).
• A behavior with a long history of reinforcement has more resistance to extinction.
• The magnitude and quality of a reinforcer influences resistance to extinction.
• Successive applications of conditioning and extinction may influence resistance to extinction, with reapplications reducing future emitted behavior after behavior diminishes.
• Response Effort: a response requiring effort diminishes more quickly.

Effective Extinction

• Withholding all reinforcers that maintain the problem behavior
• It depends on the correct identification of consequences maintaining the problem.
• Behaviors are frequently maintained by multiple reinforcement.
• Consistency is essential, noting that intermittent reinforcement effects can cause resistance to extinction.
• Combine extinction with treatments such as reinforcement of alternative behaviors.
• Incorporate differential reinforcement and antecedent procedures to reduce extinction bursts and aggression.
• Include instruction by describing the extinction procedure to clients.
• Plan for extinction produced behaviors and aggression so that low frequency occurrences may not lead to reinforcement.
• Trial numbers improve efficiency for accelerating the extinction process.
• Increase extinction trials when increased occurrences of problem behaviors can be tolerated.
• Include other persons in the environment not reinforcing undesirable behaviors is important for maximal effectiveness.
• Conduct permanent application of extinction, consisting of escape extinction, attention extinction, and some sensory extinction.
• Be aware that desirable behaviors are often unintentionally placed on extinction. behaviors must continue to be reinforced to be maintained.

Usage Restrictions

• Avoid usage when the behavior is harmful, all sources of reinforcement cannot be withheld, a rapid reduction in response rate is required, or others are likely to imitate the problem behavior
• Always guard against unintentional extinction.
• Desirable behaviors are often unintentionally placed on extinction.
• All responses should continue to be reinforced to be maintained.