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Related Concept Videos

Reinforcement Schedules01:24

Reinforcement Schedules

Positive reinforcement is a powerful method for teaching new behaviors to both animals and humans. B.F. Skinner demonstrated this with his experiments using rats in a Skinner box. When a rat pressed a lever, it received a food pellet. This immediate reward encouraged the rat to repeat the behavior. This method, where a reward follows every instance of the behavior, is known as continuous reinforcement. It is highly effective for establishing new behaviors quickly.
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Behavior Modification01:21

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Behavioral approaches have often been criticized for ignoring mental processes and focusing solely on observable behavior. However, these approaches provide an optimistic perspective for individuals seeking to change their behaviors. Rather than concentrating on intrinsic personality traits, behavioral approaches suggest that even longstanding habits can be modified by changing the reward contingencies that maintain them.
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Operant Conditioning Intervention01:24

Operant Conditioning Intervention

Operant conditioning serves as a foundational principle in therapeutic interventions aimed at modifying maladaptive behaviors. Central to this approach is the notion that behaviors, both adaptive and maladaptive, are learned through reinforcement. By analyzing the environmental factors that reinforce problematic behaviors, clinicians can design interventions to weaken these reinforcements and replace maladaptive behaviors with healthier alternatives.
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Generalization, Discrimination, and Extinction01:24

Generalization, Discrimination, and Extinction

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Novel Apparatus and Method for Drug Reinforcement
07:32

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Published on: August 20, 2010

An evaluation of antecedent exercise on behavior maintained by automatic reinforcement using a three-component

Heather Morrison1, Eileen M Roscoe, Amy Atwell

  • 1New England Center for Children, Southborough, Massachusetts 01772, USA.

Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis
|September 24, 2011
PubMed
Summary

Antecedent exercise may help reduce problem behaviors in individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). This study found that exercise decreased problem behaviors for most participants, suggesting its potential as a therapeutic intervention.

Keywords:
antecedent exerciseautomatic reinforcementfunctional analysispreference assessment

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Area of Science:

  • Behavioral Psychology
  • Autism Spectrum Disorder Research
  • Intervention Strategies

Background:

  • Problem behaviors in individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) are often automatically reinforced.
  • Identifying effective interventions for automatically reinforced problem behaviors is crucial for improving quality of life.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To evaluate the efficacy of antecedent exercise in reducing automatically reinforced problem behaviors in individuals with ASD.
  • To compare exercise interventions with leisure-item and social-interaction controls.

Main Methods:

  • Conducted preference assessments to identify high-engagement, low-problem behavior leisure and exercise items.
  • Employed a 3-component multiple-schedule design (preintervention, intervention, postintervention) for exercise, leisure, and social interaction conditions.
  • Assessed problem behavior changes across conditions for four individuals with ASD.

Main Results:

  • Three out of four participants showed a decrease in problem behavior during the postintervention phase of the exercise assessment.
  • The positive effects of exercise were not solely attributable to exercise for one participant.
  • Control conditions (leisure and social interaction) were also assessed for comparative effects.

Conclusions:

  • Antecedent exercise shows promise as an intervention to decrease automatically reinforced problem behaviors in some individuals with ASD.
  • Further research is needed to isolate the specific mechanisms through which exercise impacts problem behavior and to identify individual differences in response.
  • Preference-based leisure and exercise activities can be integrated into treatment plans for ASD.