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Individual and combined effects of noncontingent reinforcement and response blocking on automatically reinforced

Valdeep Saini1, Brian D Greer2, Wayne W Fisher1

  • 1University Of Nebraska Medical Center'S Munroe-Meyer Institute.

Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis
|April 1, 2016
PubMed

Insights

Combining noncontingent reinforcement (NCR) and response blocking effectively reduced problem behaviors maintained by automatic reinforcement. Individual interventions were insufficient, but the combined approach proved successful for pica.

Area of Science:

  • Behavioral Psychology
  • Applied Behavior Analysis

Background:

  • Automatic reinforcement often maintains problem behaviors.
  • Noncontingent reinforcement (NCR) and response blocking are common interventions.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To evaluate the effectiveness of a combined NCR and response blocking intervention for automatically reinforced problem behavior.
  • To compare the combined intervention with individual NCR and blocking strategies.

Main Methods:

  • The study involved three children with automatically reinforced problem behavior.
  • Interventions included NCR alone, blocking alone, and a combination of NCR and blocking.

Main Results:

  • The combined NCR and blocking intervention effectively reduced problem behavior.
  • Individual interventions (NCR or blocking alone) were not sufficient to decrease problem behavior.
  • Problem behavior reduction occurred while moderate to high levels of item engagement persisted.

Conclusions:

  • A combined NCR and response blocking intervention is more effective than individual strategies for automatically reinforced problem behavior.
  • This combined approach offers a viable treatment for severe problem behaviors maintained by automatic reinforcement.

Keywords:
automatic reinforcementnoncontingent reinforcementproblem behaviorresponse blocking

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