The concept of automatic reinforcement: implications for behavioral research in developmental disabilities

Automatic reinforcement refers to situations in which behavior is maintained by operant mechanisms independent of the social environment. A number of difficulties exist in conducting an adequate functional analysis of automatically reinforced aberrant behavior. For example, sources of reinforcement are often difficult or impossible to identify, manipulate, or control. Further, the development of treatments is often difficult because many behavioral interventions, such as timeout, involve manipulation of the social environment--an approach that may be functionally irrelevant in the case of automatic reinforcement. This article discusses the problems inherent in the analysis of automatically reinforced behavior and reviews four classes of treatment that are compatible with that behavioral function. The four types of intervention reviewed include manipulations of establishing operations, sensory extinction, differential reinforcement, and punishment. Suggestions for future research are discussed.