Reinforcement Systems

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Reinforcement Systems

• Becky Turner
• 1/25/2001

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Why are reinforcement systems important to have
in your repertoire of behavioral interventions?

• Disruptive behavior within the classroom setting
  is predictive of less academic
• engagement time, lower grades, and a poorer
  performance on standardized tests.
• Students with behavior disorders have a high rate
  for school dropout, 65!
• Many teachers report a lack of training in
  techniques to manage disruptive behavior (parents
  have the same difficulties).

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Types of problems addressed (What a Tough Kid
looks like)?

• Behavioral excesses Too much of a behavior
• Noncompliance
• Does not do what is requested
• Breaks rules
• Argues
• Makes excuses
• Delays
• Does opposite of what is asked

• Aggression
• -Tantrums
• -Fights
• -Destroys property
• -Vandalizes
• -Sets fires
• -Teases
• -Verbally abuses
• -Is revengeful
• -Is cruel to others

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Behavioral Deficits Inability to adequately
perform a behavior

• Self-Management Skills
• -Cannot delay rewards
• -Acts before thinking-impulsive
• -Shows little remorse or guilt
• -Will not follow rules
• -Cannot foresee consequences

• Social Skills
• -Has few friends
• -Goes through friends fast
• -Noncooperative-bossy
• -Does not know how to reward others
• -Lacks affection
• -Has few problem-solving skills
• -Constantly seeks attention

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Behavioral Deficits

• Academic Skills
• -Generally behind in academics (particularly
  reading)
• -Off-task
• -Fails to finish work
• -Truant or frequently tardy
• -Forgets acquired information easily

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Positive Strategies

• The Basics
• Positive reinforcement
• -The most powerful and effective method for
  increasing or maintaining appropriate behavior.
• -Positive reinforcement always works. If a
  behavior does not increase when it is followed by
  a stimulus then by definition, that stimulus is
  not a positive reinforcer.
• -A CQ follows every behavior in which we engage
  in. Those CQs can either serve to maintain,
  increase, or decrease the future probability of a
  behavior being performed (If it increases then
  the CQ is known as a positive reinforcer).

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Common Complaints

• Teacher Ive tried that positive reinforcement
  and it doesnt work
• Reality oxymoron, if the CQ did not have an
  effect of increasing the behavior it was not a
  positive reinforcer (particularly for this
  student). There was no positive reinforcement!
• Teacher Its bribery
• Reality Bribery is giving a reward to a student
  to stop an inappropriate behavior or misbehavior.
  Positive reinforcement is given only after an
  appropriate behavior to increase or maintain it.

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Common Complaints

• Teacher Nothing reinforces my student!
• There is always something that will reinforce a
  student (unless they are dead). The trick is to
  find the effective reinforcers.

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Positive Reinforcers

• -Reinforcement is individual!
• -Must be something the student values or wants
  (not what we think they should value or want).
• -Five ways of identifying reinforcers
• preference scales
• preference lists (e.g., reinforcer checklist,
  reinforcer menu)
• interview with the child
• interview with the parent or teacher
• direct observation
• Reinforcement system for program must have
  reinforcers that are desired by the student.
• What do they want? What will they work for?

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Types of Reinforcers

• 1. Natural positive reinforcers
  (e.g., be team
  captain, help custodian, free time to use
  specific equipment/ supplies, sit next to a
  friend).
• 2. Edible Reinforcement
  (candy, ice
  cream, pop, pizza, Baha Chips) MMMMthese are
  so good!
• Material reinforcement
  (e.g.,
  crayons, key chains, stuffed animals, wax lips
  teeth, yo-yos)
• Social Reinforcement
  (e.g., smile, a
  comment on a job well done, ATTENTION!)
• Good job Becky you are talking SLOW!!

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Golden Rules for selecting reinforcers

• -Inexpensive
• -Do not take a lot of staff time
• -Should be natural whenever possible

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Why should the reinforcers be natural whenever
possible?
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How to make reinforcers more effective

• Deprivation
• Magnitude
• IFEED-AV
• Immediate (RF student immediately)
• Frequently (Frequently RF a student, the living
  daylights)
• Enthusiasm (Enthusiasm in delivery of the
  reinforcer)
• Eye Contact (eye contact suggests that the
  student is special and has the teachers
  undivided attention)
• Describe the Behavior (the student may not know
  why reinforcement is being delivered or think it
  is for some other behavior)
• Anticipation (building excitement and
  anticipation for the earning of the reinforcer
  can motivate student to try their very best)
• Variety (avoid satiation of a reinforcer)

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Schedules of Reinforcement

• Continuous RF
• Intermittent RF
  1.
  Fixed schedule of RF
  2. Variable
  schedule of RF
• Why are the schedules of RF important in
  reinforcement systems?

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Delivery Systems for Positive Reinforcement

• Name some ways to deliver positive reinforcement
  (reinforcement systems). Which are your personal
  favorites and why?

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Delivery Systems for Positive Reinforcement

• Wandering Reinforcers
• Mystery Motivators
• Chart moves
• Magic Pens
• Spinners
• Grab-bags
• Lottery/raffle tickets
• These can also be combined together to create a
  variety of different reinforcement systems!

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Wandering Reinforcers

• Wandering reinforcers.what could teachers learn
  from waitstaff? Why does this work?

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Wandering Reinforcers

• The Wandering Teacher
• -One of the most effective, but underused
  delivery systems for RF
• -Wandering randomly while students are working
  the teachers proximity serves to help prevent
  problems from occurring in the first place.
• -Teachers can provide Social RF!!! (e.g., a
  smile, nod, wink, pat on the back, etc.)
  Especially for on-task behavior
• -Allows quick checks of academic work

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Mystery Motivators

• The name of a reinforcer is written on a slip of
  paper, sealed inside an envelope, and displayed
  in a prominent position somewhere in the
  classroom (e.g., middle of the chalkboard,
  clothespinned on a wire running across the
  ceiling of the room).
• .Monthly calendar in which the teacher has
  randomly marked reinforcement days with a small
  colored X. Each day on the calendar is covered
  with a self-sticking dot or masking tape
  (including days designated with an X). For each
  day the student earns the RF, they are allowed to
  peel off one dot. If there is and X under the
  dot the student is given an envelope with a
  mystery motivator. If there is no X the student
  must wait till the next day to peel off the next
  dot.
• -Can use magic invisible pens to make
  marks on the chart and the student earns the
  right to color the box on the chart for that day
  (surprise!its the hidden X).
• Hype is critical to making Mystery Motivators
  successful
• -Teachers must be tough marketers!!!!!

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Chart Moves

• (Examples)
• -utilizes a teacher-constructed dot-to-dot
  picture which is posted so that the student can
  track his/her own progress.
• -Each time reinforcement is earned, the student
  is allowed to connect another dot on the chart.
• -The student earns the prespecified reward each
  time the special reward dot is reached.
• -The reward dots are colored or circled to
  indicate that the student will receive the RF
  when they have earned enough chart moves to reach
  the special dot.
• The 1st or last chart moves may be dated each
  day , so that the students daily progress is
  automatically recorded as the chart is used.
• -The distance between the reward dots will vary
  according to the frequency the teacher believes
  the students behavior needs to be reinforced
  (e.g., new behaviors closer spacing of reward
  dots, as student s behavior improves further
  spacing of reward dots.Fading).

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Variations of Chart Moves

• Dot-to-dot chart is an actual picture of what the
  student wishes to earn (e.g., ice cream cone)
• Tower/Thermometer (e.g., student earns the
  privilege of coloring in blocks on the graphed
  tower/thermometer).
• Puzzles student may earn a puzzle piece each
  time they land on a reward dot. When completed
  the puzzle forms a picture of the earned item
  itself, which the student receives when the
  puzzle is complete.
• Great for a variety of behaviors such as
  tantrums, talk-outs, and peer interactions

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Magic Pens

• Can combine the Chart Moves System with the use
  of a magic marker decoding pens.
• -The reward dots are not circled or colored, but
  rather are marked with an invisible ink magic
  marker.
• -This unpredictable reinforcement usually result
  in high performance rates

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Spinners

• Divided into 5 or more sections with each section
  representing a different positive reinforcer.
• Bigger reinforcers are given the smallest slice
  on the spinner
• Can be used in combination with chart moves,
  whereby the student earns a spin on the spinner
  when they reach one of the colored reward dots.
• Remember to periodically change the RFs on the
  spinner so that students dont get bored or
  satiated with a particular reinforcer resulting
  in the spinners loss of effectiveness

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Grab-Bags

• Same concept as Mystery Motivators
• The reinforcer is placed in a bag and is earned
  when the student uncovers an X on the chart.
• The bag is earned when the spinner lands on the
  grab-bag section
• Student can reach into the grab-bag and choose a
  wrapped reinforcer without looking in the bag.

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Lottery/Raffle Tickets

• -Teachers can reinforce on a daily basis
• -Students write their names on earned tickets and
  deposit them in designated container in the
  classroom.
• -Drawings can be held once-twice a day, weekly,
  or monthly depending on the prize and the level
  of reinforcement the class requires.
• -for the weekly or monthly drawings, all coupons
  earned for the week or month, including those
  which have already been drawn for prizes, are
  place din a container for the future drawing.
• -Students know that if they did not win in the
  daily drawing that they still have a chance in
  the weekly or monthly drawing.
• -COST or FINE SYSTEM if a student has to be sent
  to the office or some other discipline action for
  more severe behavior, the student can be
  disqualified from collecting a prize if their
  name is drawn.

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Guidelines for using Lottery/Raffle Tickets

• 1. Select specific target behaviors (academic
  and/or social).
• 2. Design or select tickets.
• 3. Determine how often initial drawings must be
  held so that students will be motivated to work
  for tickets.
• 4. Explain the program to the students. Which
  behaviors will result in their earning tickets.
  Role-play if necessary.
• 5. Implement the program.
• 6. When giving out ticket, praise and
  specifically describe the behavior that merited a
  ticket.
• 7. Make sure to reward tickets to students who
  have not exhibited the targeted behaviors
  previously, but are doing so now.
• 8. Make sure to reward tickets to students who
  have exhibited the target behaviors in the past
  and continue to do so.
• 9. Evaluate the program within 2 weeks when
  implemented daily or 4 weeks when implemented
  weekly. Make any necessary adjustments.

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Reductive Techniques

• Differential Reinforcement
• As important as it is to reward good behavior, it
  is equally important to fail to reward bad
  behavior (Active Ignoring).
• (Ex. DRODifferential Reinforcement of Other
  kid!!!!)

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What principles influence the effectiveness of
reductive techniques?

• -Reward rate should be high.
• -Reward an appropriate behavior that interferes
  with the misbehavior.
• -Do not adapt the student to the reductive
  technique (e.g., start off with a less intense
  form of the reductive techniques and gradually
  work it up).
• -Start early in the students behavior chain of
  misbehavior (identify the trigger misbehaviors in
  the chain).
• -Maintain peer attention to your advantage (use
  peer attention to reward appropriate behaviors
  through the use of group contingencies.

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How do you use active ignoring?

• Active Ignoring is briefly removing all attention
  from the misbehaving child.
• Guidelines to follow
• 1. Briefly remove all attention from your child.
• 2. Refuse to argue, scold, or talk.
• 3. Turn your head and avoid eye contact. (clinic
  example)
• 4. Dont show your anger in your manner or
  gestures.
• 5. Pretend to be absorbed in some other
  activity-or leave the room.
• 6. Be sure the childs bad behavior doesnt get
  him a material reward (e.g., candy bar)
• 7. Give your child lots of attention when his
  bad behavior stops.
• (These steps are a mild form of Time-out)
• (Ex. Downs Syndrome child)

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What behaviors would you use active ignoring to
weaken?

• Whining and fussing
• -Pouting and sulking
• -Loud crying intended to punish parents
• -Loud complaining
• -Continuous begging and demanding
• -Breath holding and mild tantrums
• -SPITTING!!!!!

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Rewarding good alternative behavior

• Target behavior Good Behavior
• To be decreased to be increased
• (active ignoring) (use praise
  attention)
• 1. Whining 1. Talking in
  a normal
• 
  tone of voice
• 2. Toy grabbing 2. Toy sharing
  toy trading
• 3. Hostile teasing 3. Playing
  cooperatively

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What is Grandmas rule?

• The Premack Principle!! you can watch TV after
  you finish your homework . After you do your
  chore you get to play.

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TOKEN ECONOMIES

• Money
• -Money is a conditioned reinforcer, it is used to
  trade for things that we want or find desirable
  (e.g., food, car, clothes).
• The child is reinforced for positive behaviors
  by earning tokens or points. They can lose tokens
  or points for inappropriate behaviors. The child
  can periodically turn in the tokens or points for
  certain rewards (reinforcer) such as free time,
  candy, etc.

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TOKEN ECONOMIES

• Thus, the token economy is comprised of three
  components
• .Behaviors to be reinforced are identified and
  defined
• .A medium of exchange is selected. A medium of
  exchange refers to some symbol or token that a
  child receives after successfully completing a
  target behavior.
• .Back-up reinforcers are provided that can be
  purchased with the tokens.
• Token economies have been successfully
  implemented for a wide variety of individual s
  and settings, such as residential settings for
  juvenile delinquents, psychiatric wards,
  classrooms for individuals with developmental
  disabilities, general classroom, the military,
  and normal family homes.

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What are some advantages of a token economy?

• 1. Tokens can be administered immediately after
  the target behavior occurs.
• 2. It is easier for teachers to dispense tokens
  than verbal Reinforcement when dealing
• with student within age group.
• 3. Unlike edible and activity reinforcers,
  tokens can be used to reinforce a students
  behavior at any time without interrupting the
  lesson or having satiation occur.
• 4. Tokens maintain a students behavior over
  long periods of time.
• 5. Tokens allow use of the same reinforcer for
  students that favor different reinforcers since
  they can be exchanged for items each finds
  desirable
• (Reinforcer Stores)

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Rules for establishing a Token Economy

• .Develop rules
• .Select an appropriate token (be careful of
  forgery)
• .Establish reinforcers for which tokens can be
  exchanged
• .Establish Select a target behavior
• .a ration of exchanges
• .Develop a reward menu and post it in the
  classroom
• .Designate a time when children can exchange
  tokens
• .Implement the token economy
• .Provide immediate token reinforcement for
  acceptable behavior
• .Gradually change from a continuous to a variable
  schedule of reinforcement
• .Provide a time for the child to exchange tokens
  for back-up reinforcers
• Revise the menu frequently

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Multipurpose Point sheet (token economy)

• Designed to focus on five general classes of
  behaviors those teachers find particularly
  troublesome for certain students. This system is
  designed to encourage students to perform
  specified behaviors throughout the day regardless
  of the teacher or content area.
• .New sheet can be attached every day, or can be
  weekly.
• .Operational definitions of the behavioral
  categories and the number of points students can
  earn for each behavior
• .A reinforcement menu to choose reinforcer they
  are earning pints towards.
• .A schedule for exchanging points for back-up
  reinforcers should also be included

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Multipurpose Point sheet (token economy)

• Success depends upon cooperation of all
  teachers!!!
• Main reasons teachers balk on using this
  system.
• .they may think it is too time consuming
• .Some teachers may resent having to reinforce
  students when they expect them to be good.

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Mark

• Mark is an 11-year-old 6th grader at Boondock
  Middle School. Mark had been diagnosed with
  ADHD, but is currently not receiving any meds.
  Parental report indicates that the family is of
  low SES and that they have difficulties
  controlling Marks behavior. Teacher report
  indicates that Mark is, to put it frankly,
  driving them batty. According to the teachers,
  He has difficulty staying in his seat, verbal
  outbursts (not raising hand), coming to class
  prepared (paper, books, pencils, etc.), bad
  attitude (arguing with teacher), stealing, lying,
  and poor social skills with his peers.

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Mark

• Based upon the above information, what type of
  behavior plan would you create to address some of
  Marks difficulties? Which sort of reinforcement
  system would you use and why? Would you
  incorporate only positive forms of RF, negative
  forms of RF, or both and WHY? (Why? Why? Why?)
• What was actually implemented at the site..

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What are some common errors that adults can make
that contribute to causing behavior problems? (4
common errors).

• .Failure to reward good behavior
• Jessie a 5th grader, walks up to her father to
  show him her report card. Father, sitting in his
  easy chair is busy reading the paper. Jessie
  says I made pretty good grades Dad. Would you
  like to see my report card? Dad? Father
  replies, yes, but let me finish reading the
  paper first.Would you go and ask you mother is
  she picked up the dry cleaning today

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Adults accidentally punish good behavior

• Jarred 8-year-old wants to surprise mother by
  washing the lunch dishes.
• Jarred I washed the dishes all by myself mom!
• Mom Its about time you did them on your own.
  Now what about the pans on the stove? Did you
  forget about them?.

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.Adults accidentally reward bad behavior

• 5 year-old Tommy and his mother are in the
  grocery store. Tommy spies a candy bar he wants.
• Tommy I want a candy bar! Mom, I want it,
  please!
• Mom No Tommy, its too close to supper for you
  to have a snack.
• Tommy (Tantrumming) I WANT THE CANDY BAR,
  GIMMEE IT, I WANT IT!
• Mom fine have the darn candy bar and quit
  screaming about it, its embarrassing.

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Adults fail to punish bad behavior (when mild
punishment is indicated)

• Jim is a 5 year-old with Downs Syndrome who is
  sitting in the playroom with his caregiver. When
  the caregiver begins to talk to another adult in
  the room, Bob throws his baseball at the
  caregiver. The caregiver looks at Bob, then says
  to the other adult, boys will be boys.
• Main points to remember
• 1. Both good and bad behaviors are strengthened
  when rewarded.
• 2. Reward the childs behavior quickly and
  often.
• 3. Avoid rewarding the childs bad behavior.
• 4. Use some mild punishment to decrease or
  eliminate some behaviors

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Resources

• Clark, L. (1996). SOS Help for Parents A
  practical guide for handling everyday behavior
  problems. Bowling Green Parents Press.
• Jenson, W. R., Rhode, G., Reavis, H. K.
  (1994). The Tough Kid Toolbox. Longmont Sporis
  West.
• Maag, J. W. (1999). Behavior Management
  From theoretical implications to practical
  applications. San Diego Singular Publishing
  LTD.
• Rhode, G., Jenson, W. R., Reavis, H. K.
  (1992). The Tough Kid Book Practical classroom
  management strategies. Longmont Sopris West.
• Sheridan, S. M., Kratochwill, T. R., Bergan,
  J. R. (1996). Conjoint Behavioral Consultation
  A procedural manual. New York Plenum Press
• Stage, S. A. Quiroz, D. R. (1997). A
  Meta-analysis of interventions to decrease
  disruptive behavior in public education settings.
  School Psychology Review, 26, 333-368.

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Practical Considerations within the CBC context

• When parents are involved in their childrens
  education, their children do better in school and
  go to better schools.
• Parental participation is related to increased
  student achievement, better school attendance,
  better study habits, fewer discipline habits,
  more positive attitudes toward school, more
  regulate work habits,and greater similarity
  between the school and family.
• Parental involvement is considered to be
  essential variable in improving the likelihood
  that interventions to solve school problems will
  be maximally effective

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Practical Considerations within the CBC context

• Behavioral theory is founded on the assumption
  that behaviors are learned as a function of their
  interaction with the environment.
• .Ecological theory considers that the child is an
  inseparable part of of systems (their
  environment) from which they cannot separated.
• Home and school are the largest and most
  impactful systems that a child is part,.
• Thus, both ecological and behavioral theorists
  believe that an intervention must take place
  within the home setting and major social
  institution such as the school
• Further, interventions that are in concordance
  with the childs settings (home and school ) are
  more likely to produce last change

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How to maximize on the advantages of utilizing
both Home school with reinforcement systems

• The parents could provide the renforcers at
  home. They might have a better control of
  reinforcers that a child really desires such as
  going to the movies, watching TV, getting a new
  video game, etc.
• Home based contingencies earn your points in
  school and receive your reifnrcer at home.
• The 3 things that parents can control greatly can
  influence the childs academic performance
• 1. absenteeism
• 2. reading materials in the home
• 3. TV viewing
• STRUCTURE

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Practical Considerations

• What are some other practical considerations for
  implementation within the CBC context?