Skip to main content
PMC home page
Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis logoLink to Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis
. 2002 Spring;35(1):29–48. doi: 10.1901/jaba.2002.35-29

Reinforcement magnitude and responding during treatment with differential reinforcement.

Dorothea C Lerman 1, Michael E Kelley 1, Christina M Vorndran 1, Stephanie A C Kuhn 1, Robert H LaRue Jr 1
PMCID: PMC1284358  PMID: 11936544

Abstract

Basic findings indicate that the amount or magnitude of reinforcement can influence free-operant responding prior to and during extinction. In this study, the relation between reinforcement magnitude and adaptive behavior was evaluated with 3 children as part of treatment with differential reinforcement. In the first experiment, a communicative response was shaped and maintained by the same reinforcer that was found to maintain problem behavior. Two reinforcement magnitudes (20-s or 60-s access to toys or escape from demands) were compared and found to be associated with similar levels of resistance to extinction. The relation between reinforcement magnitude and response maintenance was further evaluated in the second experiment by exposing the communicative response to 20-s or 300-s access to toys or escape. Results for 2 participants suggested that this factor may alter the duration of postreinforcement pauses.

Full Text

The Full Text of this article is available as a PDF (225.5 KB).

Selected References

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

  1. Belke T. W. Running and responding reinforced by the opportunity to run: effect of reinforcer duration. J Exp Anal Behav. 1997 May;67(3):337–351. doi: 10.1901/jeab.1997.67-337. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  2. Bonem M., Crossman E. K. Elucidating the effects of reinforcement magnitude. Psychol Bull. 1988 Nov;104(3):348–362. doi: 10.1037/0033-2909.104.3.348. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  3. Bradshaw C. M., Ruddle H. V., Szabadi E. Relationship between response rate and reinforcement frequency in variable-interval schedules: II. Effect of the volume of sucrose reinforcement. J Exp Anal Behav. 1981 May;35(3):263–269. doi: 10.1901/jeab.1981.35-263. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  4. Bradshaw C. M., Szabadi E., Bevan P. Relationship between response rate and reinforcement frequency in variable-interval schedules: the effect of the concentration of sucrose reinforcement. J Exp Anal Behav. 1978 May;29(3):447–452. doi: 10.1901/jeab.1978.29-447. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  5. Carr E. G., Durand V. M. Reducing behavior problems through functional communication training. J Appl Behav Anal. 1985 Summer;18(2):111–126. doi: 10.1901/jaba.1985.18-111. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  6. Collier G., Johnson D. F., Morgan C. The magnitude-of-reinforcement function in closed and open economies. J Exp Anal Behav. 1992 Jan;57(1):81–89. doi: 10.1901/jeab.1992.57-81. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  7. Day H. M., Horner R. H., O'Neill R. E. Multiple functions of problem behaviors: assessment and intervention. J Appl Behav Anal. 1994 Summer;27(2):279–289. doi: 10.1901/jaba.1994.27-279. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  8. ELLIS N. R. Amount of reward and operant behavior in mental defectives. Am J Ment Defic. 1962 Jan;66:595–599. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  9. Ecott C. L., Foate B. A., Taylor B., Critchfield T. S. Further evaluation of reinforcer magnitude effects in noncontingent schedules. J Appl Behav Anal. 1999 Winter;32(4):529–532. doi: 10.1901/jaba.1999.32-529. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  10. Fisher W. W., Thompson R. H., Hagopian L. P., Bowman L. G., Krug A. Facilitating tolerance of delayed reinforcement during functional communication training. Behav Modif. 2000 Jan;24(1):3–29. doi: 10.1177/0145445500241001. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  11. Fisher W., Piazza C. C., Bowman L. G., Hagopian L. P., Owens J. C., Slevin I. A comparison of two approaches for identifying reinforcers for persons with severe and profound disabilities. J Appl Behav Anal. 1992 Summer;25(2):491–498. doi: 10.1901/jaba.1992.25-491. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  12. Hagopian L. P., Fisher W. W., Sullivan M. T., Acquisto J., LeBlanc L. A. Effectiveness of functional communication training with and without extinction and punishment: a summary of 21 inpatient cases. J Appl Behav Anal. 1998 Summer;31(2):211–235. doi: 10.1901/jaba.1998.31-211. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  13. Hanley G. P., Iwata B. A., Thompson R. H. Reinforcement schedule thinning following treatment with functional communication training. J Appl Behav Anal. 2001 Spring;34(1):17–38. doi: 10.1901/jaba.2001.34-17. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  14. 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]
  15. Heyman G. M., Monaghan M. M. Reinforcer magnitude (sucrose concentration) and the matching law theory of response strength. J Exp Anal Behav. 1994 May;61(3):505–516. doi: 10.1901/jeab.1994.61-505. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  16. 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]
  17. Kelley Michael E., Lerman Dorothea C., Van Camp Carole M. The effects of competing reinforcement schedules on the acquisition of functional communication. J Appl Behav Anal. 2002 Spring;35(1):59–63. doi: 10.1901/jaba.2002.35-59. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  18. LEWIS D. J., DUNCAN C. P. Expectation and resistance to extinction of a lever-pulling response as functions of percentage of reinforcement and amount of reward. J Exp Psychol. 1957 Aug;54(2):115–120. doi: 10.1037/h0041254. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  19. Lerman D. C., Iwata B. A. Developing a technology for the use of operant extinction in clinical settings: an examination of basic and applied research. J Appl Behav Anal. 1996 Fall;29(3):345–385. doi: 10.1901/jaba.1996.29-345. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  20. Lerman D. C., Iwata B. A., Shore B. A., Kahng S. W. Responding maintained by intermittent reinforcement: implications for the use of extinction with problem behavior in clinical settings. J Appl Behav Anal. 1996 Summer;29(2):153–171. doi: 10.1901/jaba.1996.29-153. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  21. Lerman D. C., Kelley M. E., Van Camp C. M., Roane H. S. Effects of reinforcement magnitude on spontaneous recovery. J Appl Behav Anal. 1999 Summer;32(2):197–200. doi: 10.1901/jaba.1999.32-197. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  22. Lowe C. F., Davey G. C., Harzem P. Effects of reinforcement magnitude on interval and ratio schedules. J Exp Anal Behav. 1974 Nov;22(3):553–560. doi: 10.1901/jeab.1974.22-553. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  23. Nevin J. A. An integrative model for the study of behavioral momentum. J Exp Anal Behav. 1992 May;57(3):301–316. doi: 10.1901/jeab.1992.57-301. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  24. Nevin J. A. Response strength in multiple schedules. J Exp Anal Behav. 1974 May;21(3):389–408. doi: 10.1901/jeab.1974.21-389. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  25. REYNOLDS G. S. Behavioral contrast. J Exp Anal Behav. 1961 Jan;4:57–71. doi: 10.1901/jeab.1961.4-57. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  26. Reed P. Multiple determinants of the effects of reinforcement magnitude on free-operant response rates. J Exp Anal Behav. 1991 Jan;55(1):109–123. doi: 10.1901/jeab.1991.55-109. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  27. Shirley M. J., Iwata B. A., Kahng S. W., Mazaleski J. L., Lerman D. C. Does functional communication training compete with ongoing contingencies of reinforcement? An analysis during response acquisition and maintenance. J Appl Behav Anal. 1997 Spring;30(1):93–104. doi: 10.1901/jaba.1997.30-93. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  28. Smith R. G. Analysis of establishing operations for self-injury maintained by escape. J Appl Behav Anal. 1995 Winter;28(4):515–535. doi: 10.1901/jaba.1995.28-515. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  29. Van Camp C. M., Lerman D. C., Kelley M. E., Contrucci S. A., Vorndran C. M. Variable-time reinforcement schedules in the treatment of socially maintained problem behavior. J Appl Behav Anal. 2000 Winter;33(4):545–557. doi: 10.1901/jaba.2000.33-545. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  30. WAGNER A. R. Effects of amount and percentage of reinforcement and number of acquisition trials on conditioning and extinction. J Exp Psychol. 1961 Sep;62:234–242. doi: 10.1037/h0042251. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

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

RESOURCES