LESSON 14

Rule Governance and Behaviour

Contracts; CBT and Self Management

Intro To Applied Behaviour Analysis

LESSON 12
Rule Governance and Behaviour Contracts; CBT and
Self Management

1
LESSON 12

Rule Governance

Rule Governed described that involve behaviour

being changed through direct
Behaviour contact with a consequence –
Throughout this course behaviour reinforcement or punishment. We
change procedures have been call this contingency based learning,

2
because it depends on coming into contact with a •Rule: is a description of a contingency. A rule
contingency of reinforcement or punishment. states what behaviour, in what circumstances
will be reinforced or punished.
But what about situations in which the
consequence to the behaviour is
Dangerous (e.g., running into a busy street – get
hit by a car)?
Delayed (e.g., study now -- get a high grade on
your exam in a few weeks)?
Improbable (e.g., ride with no helmet -- possibly
fall off and get a brain injury)?
Cumulative (e.g., don’t brush your teeth for many
days – get a cavity)?

•Rule-Governed Behaviours:
Behaviours where the natural consequence is
not likely to influence the behaviour directly, or
else it is too dangerous for us to allow it to do
so.

3
For example, a posted sign with the rule “No When we are very young, rules are meaningless
running beside the swimming pool or you’ll be to us as we have yet to develop the verbal skills to
asked to leave,” specifies that in a certain benefit from rules. But as we grew older we
circumstance (beside the pool) a behaviour learned that by following rules we could often
(running) will be punished (asked to leave). gain reinforcement, (especially our parents’
positive attention), or we may avoid punishment.
A rule functions as an Sd -- a cue that the desired
behaviour will be followed by a Sr+, or a cue that
not following the rule will lead to a punisher.
Knowing the rule can allow a person to act in a
way that lets them avoid punishment without
having to first experience it.

Knowing the rule can allow someone to act in a

way that will get them access to reinforcement
even if that reinforcement is delayed (e.g., study
hard now, and get good grades in a few weeks).

Whenever we talk about using rules to understand new

contingencies of Sr+ the person has not yet experienced
directly, we are talking about rule governed behaviour.

4
 Incomplete Rules
In real life, rules are sometimes presented in
incomplete forms (partial rules), where
consequences may only be implied.
If a parent says to a child “Hurry up and finish
your chore!” it is implied that there is something
reinforcing that will happen if the child complies.
Advice given often implies reinforcement … “You
should get a college education” suggests a rule -
that by getting a college education you will get a
better job.
Rules as cues for delayed consequences.
Rules can ‘govern’ or lead to behaviour change
despite no immediate experience of the
consequences (delayed consequences). For
example, if you were told that your boss does not
tolerate lateness, you don’t have to directly
experience the wrath of your boss (a punishing
consequence) in order to follow the rule of being
on time for work.

Threats or commands imply an unpleasant

consequence if you do not comply. “Don’t touch
that stove!” suggests that noncompliance will lead
to getting hurt (a natural punisher). “Don’t talk to
me like that!” suggests that bad things will
happen (i.e., punishment) if you continue to use
that tone of voice.

5
 Advantages To Using Rules
• Rules are especially helpful when rapid change is
desired. For example: a teacher may say, “Class, I’m
changing the rules. Starting tomorrow I expect you
all to have your math completed before you will be
allowed to go out to recess.”
• Rules also assist when the Sr+ needs to be delayed –
“If you do all of your chores each day this week,
then you can go to the movies on Saturday.”
• Rules can help to avoid serious consequences –
“Don’t touch the stove or you’ll get burned” can
prevent a child from burning his hand on a hot
element.
• Rules can also help maintain behaviour when the
probability of Sr+ is low. A teacher might get her
class to sit quietly by simply stating “Each day I will
pick one student who is sitting quietly to bring the
attendance to the office” (a high preference Sr+).
6
Rules For Making Rules
Rules are more likely to be followed if they are:
1. Specific vs. vague - Rules are more likely to be
followed if they are clear and concise.
To say to someone they should ‘Help out around
the house more’ is less likely to achieve behaviour
change than if the rule was’ Take out the garbage
on Monday night and wash the dishes after
dinner on weeknights.”
2. Probable vs. improbable consequences -
Behaviours that have an immediate payoff are
more likely to be followed than those that have an
infrequent positive consequence even if that
consequence is significant. Dad says, “If you
wear your seat belt in the car each day that will
make Daddy very happy!” This is more likely to
be complied with by a young child than a rule
that says “If you wear a seat belt in the car, then
you won’t get hurt if ever we have a car accident.”
Making Daddy happy (i.e., seeing him smile at
you as a result of putting on your seatbelt) is a far
more probable consequence than is avoiding
getting hurt in a car accident.
3. Immediate significant consequences vs. later
cumulative consequences - “If you do your
homework each night, you will be able to watch
TV. for a half hour that night,” is more likely to
have the desired effect than a rule that says “If
you do your homework each night, then you will
get into the college program you want when you
finish high school.”
rule – e.g. “in 5 minutes” – greatly increases the
likelihood of the behaviour occurring.
6. Complex rules are better if broken into easy to
follow steps - “If you do all your chores this
week, I’ll give you $5 allowance on Saturday” will
be less effective than saying “If you take out the
garbage on Monday, do the dishes Tuesday and
Thursday, and walk the dog Wednesday and
Friday, I’ll give you $5 allowance on Saturday.”
7. Rules should be delivered in a pleasant
encouraging manner, without reminders of past
performance.

4. Deadlines vs. no deadlines - “If you put away

your toys in 5 minutes I’ll make you your
favourite sandwich to eat.” vs. “If you put away
your toys, you can have your favourite
sandwich.” Studies have shown that even if the Sr
+ is delayed by a week, adding the deadline to the

7
LESSON 14

Behaviour Contracts; CBT and Self Management

8
 Behavioural Contracts
It is also a good idea to include a review date, so
Behavioural Contract: a written agreement
that both parties can review the contract and
between two people. In this agreement one person
re-negotiate it if necessary.
(or both people!) specifies what behaviour they
will engage in, and what the reinforcing
consequence will be for doing so. A behavioural
contract may also specify what punishment will
be delivered if the behaviour does not occur.
In a behavioural contract, one person may be 5 components of a behavioural contract:
responsible for changing his or her behaviour, 1. Identify the target behaviour.
while the other person is responsible for doling 2. State how the target behaviour will be
out the consequence. Alternately, both people measured.
may specify behaviours to target, and may be 3. State when the behaviour must be performed.
responsible for delivering consequences to each 4. Identify the reinforcement or punishment
other. contingency.
5. Specify who will deliver the reinforcement or
Always involve both parties when negotiating a punishment.
behavioural contract. If everyone is involved in
the development of the contract, they will be more
likely to be willing to follow it.

9
Here are some sample behaviour contracts:

10
 Cognitive Behaviour Therapy
(CBT)

Thus far this course has primarily discussed overt

behaviour. Remember from lesson 1 that overt
behaviour means behaviour that more than one
person can observe. Cognitive psychology on the
other hand concerns itself with what people think
– with cognitive behaviour.

Many behaviourists consider cognitive behaviour

to be covert behaviour – behaviour that, while

11
only the person who is engaging in the behaviour
can observe it, it is still behaviour – which can
come under stimulus control, and be influenced
by reinforcement, punishment etc.
The logic behind cognitive behaviour therapy is
that many disorders involve problems with what
people are thinking. Cognitive behaviour therapy
is built on the premise that by helping people
change their thinking, it will thus help to change
their behaviours.
12
The CBT Model
One type of CBT is:
Self-Instructional Training
It is the process when teaching a person to self
manage to observe their own behaviour and
provide their own prompts or their own
consequences so that they may change their own
behaviour.
Self instruction is a form of self-management.
The steps to self-instructional training are as
follows:
1. Define the desired behaviour, and the situations
in which the client will need to use that desired
behaviour.
2. Identify self instructions that will be useful. This
usually includes prompts for engaging in the
behaviour, corrections if the client makes
 mistakes, and self reinforcement if they engage f. Client recites the self-instruction covertly
in the correct behaviour. (i.e., just thinks it) while engaging in the
3. Teach the person to use the self-instruction. desired behaviour.
This involves modeling the self instruction, then
fading out the modeling. Why Teach Self Management?
a. Therapist models the self-instructions out
• External change agents (parents, teachers,
loud while engaging in the desired
therapists) may be inconsistent in delivering
behaviour.
prompts and reinforcement. If the client can
b. Therapist and client engage in the self-
deliver prompts and reinforcers to himself, the
instruction (out loud) and associated
inconsistency of others is not as important.
behaviour.
c. Without the therapist the client engages in
• External change agents (parents, teacher, and
the self-instruction (speaking out loud) and
therapists) may not be around in all
desired behaviour.
environments to prompt or reinforce desired
d. Client engages in the self-instruction (in a
behaviour.
softer and softer voice) and engages in the
desired behaviour.
• If self management is not taught, external
e. Client engages in the self-instruction
change agents (parents, teachers, therapists)
silently (but may move lips) and engages in
may become Sd’s for the desired behaviour. If
the desired behaviour.
the behaviour is under stimulus control of other

13
 people, the student will only do the desired
behaviour when those people are around.

• Students are more motivated and committed

when they can take charge of their own
behaviour change!

14