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Noncontingent reinforcement: Arbitrary versus maintaining reinforcers for escape‐maintained problem behavior
Author(s) -
Newman Zoe A.,
Roscoe Eileen M.,
Errera Nancy P.,
Davis Caleb R.
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
journal of applied behavior analysis
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.1
H-Index - 76
eISSN - 1938-3703
pISSN - 0021-8855
DOI - 10.1002/jaba.821
Subject(s) - reinforcement , extinction (optical mineralogy) , psychology , developmental psychology , social psychology , biology , paleontology
Noncontingent reinforcement (NCR) involves the delivery of maintaining reinforcers on a time‐dependent schedule and often includes extinction. However, arbitrary reinforcers may be equally efficacious during NCR without extinction for treating escape‐maintained problem behavior. The purpose of this study was to extend previous research on NCR by evaluating the relative efficacy of NCR without extinction and comparing maintaining versus arbitrary reinforcers for 4 individuals with escape‐maintained problem behavior. Two different NCR conditions, NCR using the maintaining reinforcer (escape) and NCR using an arbitrary reinforcer (an edible), were evaluated using multielement and reversal designs. Treatment effects varied across participants. Results for 2 participants showed a reduction in problem behavior during NCR without extinction with both the arbitrary and maintaining reinforcers. For 1 participant, results showed a reduction in problem behavior with both the arbitrary and maintaining reinforcers only when extinction was added to NCR. For the 4th participant, the maintaining reinforcer was effective during NCR without extinction, but the arbitrary reinforcer was ineffective.