Effects of continuous and intermittent reinforcement for problem behavior during functional communication training

Area of Science:

• Behavior Analysis
• Applied Behavior Analysis
• Clinical Psychology

Background:

• Functional Communication Training (FCT) is a behavioral intervention used to decrease challenging behaviors.
• Identifying the maintaining variables for problem behavior is crucial for effective intervention design.
• Previous FCT protocols often integrate extinction procedures to suppress problem behavior.

Observation:

• This study evaluated FCT without extinction for participants whose self-injurious behavior (SIB) and aggression were maintained by social-positive reinforcement.
• Participants initially received FCT where both problem and alternative behaviors were continuously reinforced (FR1).
• Subsequently, reinforcement for problem behavior was thinned (e.g., FR2, FR3, FR5), while alternative behavior remained continuously reinforced (FR1).

Findings:

• One participant showed immediate decreases in problem behavior and increases in alternative behavior under continuous reinforcement (FR1).
• Four participants demonstrated a shift in response allocation from problem behavior to alternative behavior as reinforcement for problem behavior became intermittent.
• These findings indicate that alternative behaviors can be acquired during FCT despite the absence of extinction.

Implications:

• FCT may be effective in establishing alternative behaviors even with less stringent application of extinction procedures.
• Intermittent reinforcement of problem behavior, when paired with continuous reinforcement of alternative behavior, can lead to treatment success.
• Even minor inconsistencies in reinforcement schedules can potentially undermine the effectiveness of FCT.