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Differential Reinforcement of Lower/Higher
Rates of Behavior (DRL/H)
Introduction
Similar to other procedures involving differential reinforcement
(DRO, DRI, DRA), these procedures involve differential application of
reinforcement contingent upon the occurrence of the undesired target
behavior. However, unlike previous procedures, the use of DRL
or DRH establishes criteria
for displaying the undesired behavior such that the undesired behaviors
can occur, but only at a specified rate. As you will see, allowing the
undesired target behavior to occur only at a specified rate has advantages
not found using the other procedures.
Example
Peter is a seventh-grade student with Asperger Syndrome
who is attending a general education classroom at Monroe Middle School.
His curriculum has been modified to allow him to participate in a regular
math class. However, when entering the classroom, Peter wanders around
the room, touching various items in the classroom. Besides, his vocalizations
tend to distract others in the class who typically seat themselves within
3 minutes of entering the room. By comparison, Peter walks around the
classroom for upwards of 15 minutes before sitting down. Once seated,
he is very attentive, takes copious notes and is no longer a distraction
to his classmates.
1. What is differential reinforcement of lower rate
behaviors (DRL)?
DRL involves a schedule in which a reinforcer is given
following a specified period of time whereby the identified target behavior
occurs at or below a prespecified level. It is typically used to slowly
reduce high rates of behavior. Thus, reinforcement is provided only
when the number of responses during a specified period of time is lower
than a prescribed limit.
In our example above, Peter always walks around the room
at the beginning of the class. His teacher, Mr. Berber, has taken some
baseline data and discovered that, on average, Peter sits down after
13 minutes. He then establishes a DRL procedure whereby Peter is reinforced
when he sits down after 10 minutes. Gradually, Mr. Berber limits this
time, in 1-minute increments, so that by the end of 10 class periods,
Peter receives reinforcement when he sits down within 3 minutes (the
norm for the others in the class).
In this simple example, we see the use of DRL working
to slowly gain control of Peter’s behavior of walking around the
classroom. However, no attempt is made to eliminate the behavior immediately.
This gradual reduction may be desirable, since many students with ASD
exhibit high rates of behaviors that have occurred for a long period
of time and are well ingrained into the child’s behavioral repertoire.
By allowing the behavior to occur at a low rate, the student gradually
learns that alternative behaviors are reinforced by the absence of particular
undesired behaviors. Moreover, as in Peter’s situation, it is
not desirable to totally eliminate the behavior of walking around the
classroom since this is a behavior also exhibited by his peers, albeit
at a lower rate. However, his behavior is problematic as it occurs at
too high a frequency. The goal of this procedure, then, is to gradually
reduce the behavior to bring it into alignment with what is typical
for same-aged peers.
Example
Margie is a 19 year-old high school student with autism
who attends a vocational program for individuals with disabilities.
At 11:30 a.m. each day, Margie walks to the local restaurant around
the corner and for two hours buses tables for the lunchtime crowd. It
is part of her career exploration program at the high school. Although
she is capable of busing the trays to the kitchen, she is constantly
asking her job supervisor if she is doing a good job. In fact, baseline
data taken by her job coach indicated that in the two-hour period, Margie
asked her supervisor 27 times whether she was doing a good job. Clearly,
this frequency is too high and was impacting upon her getting her work
done.
MaryAnn, her job coach, arranged with the supervisor
to respond to Margie’s requests for feedback only at every 10-minute
interval on the clock. That is, the supervisor would ignore Margie’s
requests if they occurred at any times other than at the 10-minute interval.
Thus, Margie could receive the desired feedback, but only when the clock
was at a 10-minute interval (i.e., 10, 20, 30, etc.). This reduced Margie’s
requests to 12 per two-hour period. Over a period of three weeks, the
interval was lengthened by 10 minutes so that Margie could ask for feedback,
but only every 20 minutes. Requests were further reduced after the third
week to a maximum of six per two-hour period. This was seen as an acceptable
level.
This is example of how a DRL can be applied to a work
situation. Rather than totally eliminate Margie’s requests, the
DRL gradually reduced them to an acceptable level. Margie learned that
while she could ask for feedback on the job, it was only allowed periodically.
The next evolution in her program would be to permit requests only twice
during the hour, and then after a time, only once or twice in the entire
two-hour period. The acceptable level of behavior (making requests in
Margie’s situation; walking around the classroom in Peter’s
situation) is all based on the agreed-upon level (criteria on) that
will be in effect.
2. What is differential reinforcement of higher rate
behavior (DRH)?
Sometimes individuals with ASD respond at a very low
level or exhibit behaviors so infrequently that responses are virtually
nonexistent. For example, communicating with peers and teachers is an
accepted, if not required behavior in schools. Yet, many students with
ASD do not initiate or respond to the communicative interactions of
others even though they possess adequate verbal language abilities.
Differential reinforcement of higher rate behavior (DRH) is a procedure
in which a reinforcer is given following a specified period of time
whereby the identified targeted behavior occurred at or above a prespecified
level. As such, it is essentially the exact opposite of a DRL, which
reinforces behaviors that fall at or below a specified level. DRH attempts
to increase the rate of a particular behavior; DRL attempts to decrease
the rate of a specific behavior.
Example
Remember Dana in science class at East Middle School?
Mr. Rollins has Dana staying with her group of peers during the science
lab as the DRO procedure worked very well. But he has not been able
to generate any interaction between her and her peers. Dana is capable
of interacting and, in fact, is quite social in the cafeteria. But during
an academic lesson, she shuts up like a clam. Mr. Rollins wants to use
a DRH procedure that will reinforce Dana each time she initiates or
responds to a social bid toward or by her peers. When he took a baseline,
revealed that Dana doesn’t initiate any interactions during the
science class. The baseline taken in the cafeteria revealed a different
pattern: Dana interacted five or more times during the 30-minute lunch
period. Thus, during the first week of the program, Mr. Rollins required
Dana to initiate at least five interactions with her peers during the
50-minute lab period and to respond to at least three interactions by
others during that same time.
A reflective analysis of this example: demonstrates that
it is possible to increase a behavior gradually over time using a systematic
procedure known as DRH. Mr. Rollins used his data to plan a realistic
program for Dana using skills that she already possessed. Many children
and youth with ASD possess the necessary skills to perform certain behaviors
or activities, but do not demonstrate those skills in all settings where
they could be used. This is largely an issue of response generalization
and can be used in a planned way to maximize student learning.
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