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Health & Fitness

Reinforcers: What are they, and how do I choose one for my child?

Written by Catherine Ganem, M.A., BCBA

What is reinforcement?

One of the basic principles of behavior analysis is the principle of reinforcement.  Reinforcement can be defined as “a stimulus change immediately following a response that increases the future frequency of that type of behavior in similar conditions” (Cooper, Heron, & Heward, 2007).  Simply stated, reinforcement occurs when a consequence follows a behavior, and that consequence makes it more likely that the behavior will occur in the future.

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In a previous blog, Assistant Behavior Analyst Kika Young explained the difference between positive and negative reinforcement.  In positive reinforcement, the occurrence of a behavior is followed by the addition of a stimulus (reinforcer) that increases the behavior in the future.  In negative reinforcement, the occurrence of a behavior is followed by the removal of a stimulus (something aversive) that increases the behavior in the future.  In both positive and negative reinforcement, the behavior is more likely in the future.

Consider the following example:

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Let’s assume that candy is reinforcing to Johnny and loud noises are aversive to him. 

· Johnny says, “candy” (behavior) and gets a piece of candy (reinforcer).  Johnny will be more likely to say “candy” in the future under similar conditions (positive reinforcement).

· In the presence of a loud noise, Johnny says, “stop” (behavior) and the loud noise (aversive stimulus) stops.  Johnny will be more likely to say “stop” in the future under similar conditions.

How do I choose a reinforcer that is appropriate for my child?

One mistake that is often made when attempting to use positive reinforcement is choosing something that is not truly a reinforcer for that child.  What may be reinforcing to one child may not be for another child, and it may even be punishing.  If tickles are a reinforcer for Susie, using tickles to reinforce appropriate behavior is likely to be successful.  If tickles are aversive to Joey, using tickles to reinforce appropriate behavior is likely to be unsuccessful and may even punish the behavior.  In addition, don’t assume that praise is always a reinforcer.  Simply saying “good job” after a behavior may not be enough to reinforce that behavior if praise is not a reinforcer for that child.

The following are some ways to identify reinforcers to use when attempting to increase appropriate behavior:

1. Ask the child what he/she wants- for children who are vocal or who use sign language, simply asking them what they want can give you an indication as to what may be reinforcing.  If the child is not vocal, show him/her pictures of preferred items and see what is chosen.

2. Ask others what the child likes- ask parents, caregivers, or teachers what the child typically plays with or eats.  Have the informant put these in rank order from most to least preferred.

3. Observe- if the child is brought to the playroom, what does he or she play with?  By observing the toys and activities the child gravitates toward, you can get a good idea of what might be a reinforcer.

4. Conduct a preference assessment- if all else fails, you can conduct a multiple-stimuli preference assessment in which you place an array of potential reinforcing items in front of the child and have him/her choose an item one at a time from most preferred to least preferred. 

One final note: keep in mind that your child’s motivation can change.  Candy might be very reinforcing to Johnny, but it may be less reinforcing after eating a large meal.  Jumping on the trampoline might be reinforcing to Jack, but it may be less reinforcing if he did not get much sleep last night.  It is a good idea to have a few different reinforcers from different groups (some edibles, some toys, some activities or interactions) to use if the child’s motivation changes.  Stay tuned for a future blog on motivation and the various factors that affect reinforcement!

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