Primary reinforcer (punisher)

• also called unconditioned or unlearned

• stimulus that reinforces (punishes) behavior regardless of any
prior experience with that stimulus
• e.g., food, water, oxygen, warmth, sex, touch
• (e.g., extreme heat/cold, loud sound; forceful blow)

Conditioned reinforcer (punisher)

• also called secondary or learned
• stimulus that acquires reinforcing (punishing) properties due
to its relation to another reinforcer (punisher)
• key is that it’s a predictive relationship
• e.g., praise, “dinner’s ready”, recognition, smiles
• (e.g., “No!”, reprimands, threat of harm, speeding ticket)
Backup reinforcer (punisher)
• reinforcer (punisher) used to establish another stimulus as
conditioned reinforcer (punisher) by making it available
following that stimulus
• can be primary reinforcer or conditioned reinforcer

Tokens (see Chapter 24)

• conditioned reinforcers that can be accumulated and
exchanged for backup reinforcers
• e.g., poker chips earned for daily chores backed up with
opportunity to play video games
Generalized reinforcer (punisher)
• stimulus that acquires reinforcing (punishing) properties due
to its relation to a variety of reinforcers (punishers)
• not dependent on any one motivating operation
• e.g., money backed up with food, clothing, shelter,
transportation, dates, entertainment, etc.
Harry: Behavioral Treatment of Self-Abuse
Self-restraint
• self-initiated confinement incompatible with SIB, or
preference for confinement
• common among persons who exhibit SIB
• caretakers sometimes encourage self-restraint

Explanations
1. by self-restraining, person avoids/escapes from aversive
properties of SIB (avoidance/escape)
2. opportunity to self-restrain reinforces SIB (positive
reinforcement)
• self-restraint paired with attention or escape from
demands; thus becomes conditioned reinforcer
 Possible Explanations of Self-Restraint

ANTECEDENT BEHAVIOR CONSEQUENCE

SIB (pain) Self-restrain SIB (pain) removed

OR

ANTECEDENT BEHAVIOR CONSEQUENCE

SIB Self-restraint added

Attention and/or
escape
Purpose
• to determine function of self-restraint for Polly

Participant
• 32-yr old women with profound retardation
• blinded by chronic eye poking

Target Behaviors
• SIB = head hitting and hair pulling
• Self-restraint = entangling hands/ arms in clothing

Design
• ABCBC design; 5-min sessions
A = Noncontingent Restraint
• no interaction
• permitted to self-restrain continuously

B = Contingent Restraint
• attempts to self-restrain blocked
• if SIB, permitted to self-restrain for 1
min

C = No Restraint
• attempts to self-restrain blocked
• SIB ignored

S = opportunity to self-retrain; R =
SIB
 ANTECEDENT BEHAVIOR CONSEQUENCE

A = Noncontingent restraint
[Self-restraint] SIB [Self-restraint]

B = Contingent restraint
SIB Self-restraint added

C = No restraint
SIB
SIB→Restrain SIB→Restrain
t t

SIB→ SIB→
Conclusions
• SIB maintained (at least in part) by the opportunity to self-
restraint as a reinforcer
• supported by:
– SIB increased when it produced opportunity to self-restrain
(positive reinforcement)
– SIB decreased when it no longer produced opportunity to
self-restrain (extinction)
 Useful for developing treatments
• contingent restraint not always appropriate
• instead…
– discontinue self-restraint altogether (standard extinction)
– non-contingent access to self-restraint (alternative extinction)

S = opportunity to self-retrain
R = SIB
Other implications
• stop pairing self-restraint with backup reinforcers
– e.g., attention, escape from demands
• use backup reinforcers to strengthen responses incompatible
with SIB (e.g., sign language)
 Indicated Treatment of Polly’s SIB

ANTECEDENT BEHAVIOR CONSEQUENCE

SIB Self-restraint added

Attention and/or
escape

ANTECEDENT BEHAVIOR CONSEQUENCE

Sign language? Attention and/or escape
 Factors influencing the effectiveness of
conditioned reinforcement

1. Strength of the back-up reinforcer

– motivating operations
– different strokes for different folks

ANTECEDENT BEHAVIOR CONSEQUENCE

Stars added
Correctly complete +
Rainy day in-class exercise Extra recess added
 Factors influencing the effectiveness of
conditioned reinforcement
2. Variety of back-up reinforcers
– ideally, develop a generalized reinforcer

ANTECEDENT BEHAVIOR CONSEQUENCE

Correctly complete Stars added

in-class exercise +
Rainy day Extra recess added

Stars added
Rainy day
Correctly complete +
Attention deprivation in-class exercise Extra recess, help teacher,
New computer game computer game, etc. added
Etc.
 Factors influencing the effectiveness of
conditioned reinforcement

3. Schedule of pairing with back-up reinforcer

– number of pairings 1.0 0.0
– predictive relationship – p (S2 / S1) > p (S2 / no S1)
– time interval

Pairing is not the only way to establish a

conditioned reinforcer…

ANTECEDENT BEHAVIOR CONSEQUENCE

Stars (S1) added
Correctly complete +
in-class exercise Extra recess (S2) added
Becomes effective
conditioned reinforcer
without being paired B1
with backup reinforcers.

Reflexivit
y
Symmetr
Establish as effective
conditioned reinforcer y
via pairing with
backup reinforcers. A1 Transitivit
y

Becomes effective
conditioned reinforcer
without being paired
with backup reinforcers.
C1
 Factors influencing the effectiveness of
conditioned reinforcement

4. Extinction of the conditioned reinforcer

– pairings must at least sometimes continue

ANTECEDENT BEHAVIOR CONSEQUENCE

Correctly complete Stars added

in-class exercise +
Extra recess added
Why is it important that those working with persons with
developmental disabilities ensure that praise becomes a
conditioned reinforcer for them?

ANTECEDENT BEHAVIOR CONSEQUENCE

Praise added
Appropriate +
behavior Back-up reinforcer added

3. Schedule of pairing with back-up reinforcer

– number of pairings
– predictive relationship
– time interval
Explain a case in which a person who is unfamiliar with the
principle of conditioned reinforcement may unknowingly
misapply it.

ANTECEDENT BEHAVIOR CONSEQUENCE

Appropriate “Good job!” added

+
behavior ??? added

4. Extinction of the conditioned reinforcer

– pairings must at least sometimes continue
Explain a case in which a person who is unfamiliar with the
principle of conditioned reinforcement may unknowingly
misapply it.

ANTECEDENT BEHAVIOR CONSEQUENCE

Reprimand added
Attention Inappropriate +
behavior Neg attention added
deprivation

1. Strength of the back-up reinforcer

– motivating operations
– different strokes for different folks
Explain a case in which a person who is unfamiliar with the
principle of conditioned reinforcement (punishment) may
unknowingly misapply it.

ANTECEDENT BEHAVIOR CONSEQUENCE

Parent added
Inappropriate +
behavior Spanking added

3. Schedule of pairing with back-up reinforcer

– number of pairings
– predictive relationship
– time interval
Explain a case in which a person who is unfamiliar with the
principle of conditioned reinforcement (punishment) may
unknowingly misapply it.

ANTECEDENT BEHAVIOR CONSEQUENCE

Reprimand added
Inappropriate +
behavior ??? added

4. Extinction of the conditioned punisher

– pairings must at least sometimes continue
Explain a case in which a person who is unfamiliar with the
principle of conditioned reinforcement may unknowingly
misapply it.

ANTECEDENT BEHAVIOR CONSEQUENCE

1. Run into street Scolding added

Scolding 2. “You’re mean!” Treats added

3. Schedule of pairing with back-up reinforcer

– number of pairings
– predictive relationship
– time interval
How is conditioned reinforcement involved in
influencing babies to babble in their native language,
even when no adults are around to reinforce the
behavior. (pages 87-88)
Participants
• 2 normally developing female children, ages 11 & 14 months

1. Pre-pairing condition
• record phonemes emitted as child played with several toys

2. Pairing condition
• toys moved aside; adult said vocal sound (e.g., “da”) repeatedly
• Neutral – sound paired with nothing
• Positive – sound paired with reinforcer (e.g., bubbles, tickles)
• Negative – sound paired with mild punisher (e.g., “bad girl”)

3. Post-pairing condition
• record phonemes emitted as child played with several toys
 0.8 R’s/min 1.2 R’s/min

Neutral Condition: adult said "da" 39 times in 160 sec; sound not
followed by any known form of reinforcement or punishment
 0.0 R’s/min 2.5 R’s/min

Positive Pairing Condition: adult said "da" 24 times in 190 sec;

sound followed by known forms of reinforcement (bubbles, tickles)
 13.7 R’s/min 0.0 R’s/min

Negative Pairing Condition: adult said "da" 3 times in 10 seconds;

sound followed by known form of punishment (“bad girl”)
 Positive Pairing Procedure
• Stimulus A (heard “da”)  Stimulus B (bubbles or tickles)
• pairing not contingent on any behavior

Post-Pairing
ANTECEDENT BEHAVIOR CONSEQUENCE

Say “da” Heard “da” added

Bubbles or
Tickles
 Negative Pairing Procedure
• Stimulus A (heard “da”)  Stimulus B ( “Bad girl”)
• pairing not contingent on any behavior

Post-Pairing
ANTECEDENT BEHAVIOR CONSEQUENCE

Say “da” Heard “da” added

“Bad girl”