EDF5684 Chap.12 Differential Reinforcement
Differential Reinforcement
Differential reinforcement strengthens a selected response pattern while other responding does not contact reinforcement. This chapter distinguishes DRA, DRI, DRO, DRH and DRL by what earns reinforcement: a named alternative, a physically incompatible response, absence of the target, a higher rate or a lower rate. Function, effort, immediacy, schedule and data determine whether the selected alternative can compete.
What this chapter covers
- 01
Differential reinforcement as selective consequence delivery
- 02
DRA for a specified alternative response
- 03
DRI for a physically incompatible response
- 04
DRO for intervals without the target response
- 05
DRH and DRL for higher and lower response rates
- 06
Function-matched alternatives, schedule competition and data
Worked example · free
Select DRA for a communication alternative
- +1Define calling out as the target and the hand signal as the named alternative.
- +1Identify adult attention as the relevant consequence for both response classes.
- +1Classify the arrangement as DRA because a specified alternative earns reinforcement.
- +1Avoid DRI unless the hand signal is physically incompatible with calling out.
- +1Make attention more efficient and reliable for the alternative than for the established response.
- +1Collect separate data on both responses and thin only after stable independent use.
Key terms
- Alternative Reinforcement
- Reinforcement delivered for a specified appropriate response that can replace the target.
- Incompatible Reinforcement
- Reinforcement delivered for a response that cannot occur at the same time as the target.
- Other-Behaviour Reinforcement
- Reinforcement delivered when the target response does not occur during a defined interval.
- High-Rate Reinforcement
- Reinforcement delivered when responding meets or exceeds a higher-rate criterion.
- Low-Rate Reinforcement
- Reinforcement delivered when responding stays below a lower-rate criterion while remaining appropriate.
Differential Reinforcement FAQ
How do DRA and DRI differ?
DRA reinforces a specified alternative response. DRI is narrower because the reinforced response must be physically incompatible with the target. Every incompatible response is an alternative, but an appropriate alternative can still co-occur with the target.
How do DRO and DRL differ?
DRO reinforces an interval with no target response. DRL reinforces a reduced but still acceptable rate of the target response. Use DRL when some responding remains useful; use the absence criterion only when the plan genuinely targets zero occurrence during the interval.
What makes a replacement response competitive?
The alternative should produce the relevant outcome with reasonable effort, speed, magnitude and consistency. If the established response remains easier or more reliable, a technically correct DRA plan may not shift behaviour. Compare both contingencies and revise from data.
What data show that differential reinforcement is working?
Track the target response and the reinforced alternative, absence interval or rate criterion as separate series. Use a stable opportunity or time denominator and record prompt status, consequence delivery and procedural integrity. Improvement should match the selected goal: a useful replacement rises, target-free intervals become more frequent, or responding moves toward the declared rate.
Review generalisation and side effects as well as the main graph. Predefined rules for thinning, stepping back or reassessing function make later decisions more defensible than reacting to one unusually good session.
Assessment move
Make a decision tree that begins with what earns reinforcement. Named replacement leads to DRA; physical incompatibility narrows it to DRI; absence leads to DRO; a rate criterion leads to DRH or DRL. Practise explaining why DRL does not mean zero responding. For application questions, identify behavioural function, choose an accessible alternative and compare the effort and immediacy of the competing contingencies.
End with the data that would trigger schedule thinning or redesign. Build one case and redesign it under each procedure. For DRA, name a functional alternative and specify its reinforcement. For DRI, confirm that the selected response truly cannot occur simultaneously with the target. For DRO, define the interval, observation rule and reset arrangement.
For DRL and DRH, state the rate criterion, measurement window and why some or more responding is desired. Comparing the same context reveals that the acronyms refer to eligibility rules rather than general intentions to improve behaviour. Add a competing-contingencies table for applied plans. Record the effort, delay, magnitude and reliability of outcomes for both the target and replacement response.
Revise the design if the alternative is slower or harder while the target still works efficiently. Plan prompting and reinforcement for independent alternative use, followed by gradual thinning only after stable performance. Track the target, alternative and relevant side effects separately. For every data series, pre-write a decision rule for continuing, thinning, returning to an earlier step or reassessing function.
Include generalisation across people, materials and settings rather than assuming success transfers automatically. Finish with three boundary explanations: DRL is not elimination, DRO does not teach a named alternative by itself, and DRI is a special case of alternative reinforcement with physical incompatibility. These contrasts improve both multiple-choice discrimination and the precision of practical recommendations.
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