Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jul 24, 2026

A Treatment Package without Escape Extinction to Address Food Selectivity
Published on: August 21, 2015
Choices between positive and negative reinforcement during treatment for escape-maintained behavior
I G DeLeon1, P L Neidert, B M Anders
1Neurobehavioral Unit, Kennedy Krieger Institute, Baltimore, Maryland 21205, USA. deleon@kennedykrieger.org
Abstract:
Positive reinforcement was more effective than negative reinforcement in promoting compliance and reducing escape-maintained problem behavior for a child with autism. Escape extinction was then added while the child was given a choice between positive or negative reinforcement for compliance and the reinforcement schedule was thinned. When the reinforcement requirement reached 10 consecutive tasks, the treatment effects became inconsistent and reinforcer selection shifted from a strong preference for positive reinforcement to an unstable selection pattern.
Related Concept Videos
Operant Conditioning
Reinforcement in operant conditioning can be positive or negative, both of which serve to increase the likelihood of a behavior. Positive...
Reinforcement
Positive reinforcement occurs when a behavior is followed by the presentation of a rewarding stimulus, increasing the frequency of that behavior. For example:
Punishment
Punishment can be positive or negative. Positive punishment involves adding an undesirable stimulus, such as scolding, to decrease a behavior. Negative punishment involves removing a desirable stimulus, such as taking away a favorite toy, to decrease behavior.
Reinforcement Schedules
Once a behavior is learned,...
Behavior Modification
A real-world application of operant conditioning principles is applied...
Operant Conditioning Intervention
In operant conditioning, behaviors that are...

