Skip to main content
PMC home page
Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis logoLink to Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis
. 2000 Winter;33(4):433–449. doi: 10.1901/jaba.2000.33-433

Effects of noncontingent reinforcement on problem behavior and stimulus engagement: the role of satiation, extinction, and alternative reinforcement.

L P Hagopian 1, J L Crockett 1, M van Stone 1, I G DeLeon 1, L G Bowman 1
PMCID: PMC1284269  PMID: 11214021

Abstract

This study examined the effects of noncontingent reinforcement (NCR) with and without extinction on problem behavior and stimulus engagement (consumption of reinforcement) of 4 participants. Reductions in problem behavior using NCR have frequently been attributed to both satiation of the reinforcer and extinction. In the current study, aspects of the NCR treatment effects were difficult to explain based solely on either a satiation or an extinction account. Specifically, it was found that stimulus engagement remained high throughout the NCR treatment analysis, and that problem behavior was reduced to near-zero levels during NCR without extinction. The implications of these findings are discussed with respect to the satiation and extinction hypotheses frequently described in the applied literature. Findings from basic studies examining the effects of response-independent schedules are presented, and are used as the basis for a matching theory account of NCR-related effects. It is proposed that reductions in problem behavior observed during NCR interventions may be a function of the availability of alternative sources of reinforcement.

Full Text

The Full Text of this article is available as a PDF (199.7 KB).

Selected References

These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.

  1. Baum W. M. On two types of deviation from the matching law: bias and undermatching. J Exp Anal Behav. 1974 Jul;22(1):231–242. doi: 10.1901/jeab.1974.22-231. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  2. Burgess I. S., Wearden J. H. Superimposition of response-independent reinforcement. J Exp Anal Behav. 1986 Jan;45(1):75–82. doi: 10.1901/jeab.1986.45-75. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  3. DeLeon I. G., Iwata B. A., Goh H. L., Worsdell A. S. Emergence of reinforcer preference as a function of schedule requirements and stimulus similarity. J Appl Behav Anal. 1997 Fall;30(3):439–449. doi: 10.1901/jaba.1997.30-439. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  4. Derby K. M., Fisher W. W., Piazza C. C. The effects of contingent and noncontingent attention on self-injury and self-restraint. J Appl Behav Anal. 1996 Spring;29(1):107–110. doi: 10.1901/jaba.1996.29-107. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  5. Edwards D. D., Peek V., Wolfe F. Independently delivered food decelerates fixed-ratio rates. J Exp Anal Behav. 1970 Nov;14(3):301–307. doi: 10.1901/jeab.1970.14-301. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  6. Fischer S. M., Iwata B. A., Mazaleski J. L. Noncontingent delivery of arbitrary reinforcers as treatment for self-injurious behavior. J Appl Behav Anal. 1997 Summer;30(2):239–249. doi: 10.1901/jaba.1997.30-239. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  7. Fisher W. W., Thompson R. H., DeLeon I. G., Piazza C. C., Kuhn D. E., Rodriguez-Catter V., Adelinis J. D. Noncontingent reinforcement: effects of satiation versus choice responding. Res Dev Disabil. 1999 Nov-Dec;20(6):411–427. doi: 10.1016/s0891-4222(99)00022-0. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  8. Hagopian L. P., Fisher W. W., Legacy S. M. Schedule effects of noncontingent reinforcement on attention-maintained destructive behavior in identical quadruplets. J Appl Behav Anal. 1994 Summer;27(2):317–325. doi: 10.1901/jaba.1994.27-317. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  9. Hanley G. P., Piazza C. C., Fisher W. W. Noncontingent presentation of attention and alternative stimuli in the treatment of attention-maintained destructive behavior. J Appl Behav Anal. 1997 Summer;30(2):229–237. doi: 10.1901/jaba.1997.30-229. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  10. Herrnstein R. J. On the law of effect. J Exp Anal Behav. 1970 Mar;13(2):243–266. doi: 10.1901/jeab.1970.13-243. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  11. Iwata B. A., Dorsey M. F., Slifer K. J., Bauman K. E., Richman G. S. Toward a functional analysis of self-injury. J Appl Behav Anal. 1994 Summer;27(2):197–209. doi: 10.1901/jaba.1994.27-197. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  12. Kahng S., Iwata B. A., DeLeon I. G., Worsdell A. S. Evaluation of the "control over reinforcement" component in functional communication training. J Appl Behav Anal. 1997 Summer;30(2):267–277. doi: 10.1901/jaba.1997.30-267. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  13. Lalli J. S., Casey S. D., Kates K. Noncontingent reinforcement as treatment for severe problem behavior: some procedural variations. J Appl Behav Anal. 1997 Spring;30(1):127–137. doi: 10.1901/jaba.1997.30-127. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  14. Lattal K. A., Boyer S. S. Alternative reinforcement effects on fixed-interval performance. J Exp Anal Behav. 1980 Nov;34(3):285–296. doi: 10.1901/jeab.1980.34-285. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  15. Lattal K. A., Bryan A. J. Effects of concurrent response-independent reinforcement on fixed-interval schedule performance. J Exp Anal Behav. 1976 Nov;26(3):495–504. doi: 10.1901/jeab.1976.26-495. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  16. Mace F. C., Lalli J. S. Linking descriptive and experimental analyses in the treatment of bizarre speech. J Appl Behav Anal. 1991 Fall;24(3):553–562. doi: 10.1901/jaba.1991.24-553. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  17. Mace F. C., Lalli J. S., Shea M. C., Lalli E. P., West B. J., Roberts M., Nevin J. A. The momentum of human behavior in a natural setting. J Exp Anal Behav. 1990 Nov;54(3):163–172. doi: 10.1901/jeab.1990.54-163. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  18. Marcus B. A., Vollmer T. R. Combining noncontingent reinforcement and differential reinforcement schedules as treatment for aberrant behavior. J Appl Behav Anal. 1996 Spring;29(1):43–51. doi: 10.1901/jaba.1996.29-43. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  19. McDowell J. J. The importance of Herrnstein's mathematical statement of the law of effect for behavior therapy. Am Psychol. 1982 Jul;37(7):771–779. doi: 10.1037//0003-066x.37.7.771. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  20. Michael J. Distinguishing between discriminative and motivational functions of stimuli. J Exp Anal Behav. 1982 Jan;37(1):149–155. doi: 10.1901/jeab.1982.37-149. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  21. Rachlin H., Baum W. M. Effects of alternative reinforcement: does the source matter? J Exp Anal Behav. 1972 Sep;18(2):231–241. doi: 10.1901/jeab.1972.18-231. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  22. Roscoe E. M., Iwata B. A., Kahng S. Relative versus absolute reinforcement effects: implications for preference assessments. J Appl Behav Anal. 1999 Winter;32(4):479–493. doi: 10.1901/jaba.1999.32-479. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  23. Vollmer T. R., Iwata B. A., Zarcone J. R., Smith R. G., Mazaleski J. L. The role of attention in the treatment of attention-maintained self-injurious behavior: noncontingent reinforcement and differential reinforcement of other behavior. J Appl Behav Anal. 1993 Spring;26(1):9–21. doi: 10.1901/jaba.1993.26-9. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  24. Vollmer T. R., Marcus B. A., Ringdahl J. E. Noncontingent escape as treatment for self-injurious behavior maintained by negative reinforcement. J Appl Behav Anal. 1995 Spring;28(1):15–26. doi: 10.1901/jaba.1995.28-15. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  25. Vollmer T. R., Progar P. R., Lalli J. S., Van Camp C. M., Sierp B. J., Wright C. S., Nastasi J., Eisenschink K. J. Fixed-time schedules attenuate extinction-induced phenomena in the treatment of severe aberrant behavior. J Appl Behav Anal. 1998 Winter;31(4):529–542. doi: 10.1901/jaba.1998.31-529. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  26. Vollmer T. R., Ringdahl J. E., Roane H. S., Marcus B. A. Negative side effects of noncontingent reinforcement. J Appl Behav Anal. 1997 Spring;30(1):161–164. doi: 10.1901/jaba.1997.30-161. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  27. Zeiler M. D. Positive reinforcement and the elimination of reinforced responses. J Exp Anal Behav. 1976 Jul;26(1):37–44. doi: 10.1901/jeab.1976.26-37. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

Articles from Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis are provided here courtesy of Society for the Experimental Analysis of Behavior

RESOURCES