Behavior Reduction
Strategies
There are a number of specific
behavior reduction strategies that a teacher could incorporate into a classroom.
Some common strategies used to reduce inappropriate behavior include: extinction,
response cost, time out, positive practice, and overcorrection. If positive
reinforcement has not been successful, try to implement extinction as a
strategy to reduce inappropriate student behavior(s).
Extinction as a Behavior
Reduction Strategy
Extinction is a procedure
that gradually reduces the frequency and/or intensity of a target behavior
by withholding reinforcement from the previously reinforced behavior. Extinction
requires the teacher to ignore behavior that, under previous circumstances,
were typically reinforced. Thus, when the teacher withholds the reinforcement,
extinction is used to eliminate the connection between the undesired behavior
and the positive consequences that follow it. It is crucial for the teacher
to know what is reinforcing the student’s undesired
behavior and then withhold
the reinforcer or reinforcing event in order for extinction to occur.
Extinction is only effective
in reducing behaviors that are motivated by some form of reinforcement.
For example, a student has a tantrum before a pop quiz and is removed from
the class and not required to take the quiz. Removal from the class
and pop quiz avoidance is the reinforcing agent typically followed
by the inappropriate behavior of tantrumming. The teacher and other
classroom students should ignore the tantrumming behavior. The student
remains in the classroom and is required to complete the pop quiz. Extinction
may not be effective with behaviors that are intrinsically reinforcing,
for example, thumb sucking, pen chewing, rocking, etc. Also, extinction
should not be used in cases of physical aggression.
Extinction has several advantages
over other behavior reduction strategies. First, extinction may be effective
in reducing inappropriate behavior without the use of any physical or verbal
consequences (e.g., telling the student “NO!”) which might establish an
ongoing conflict between the teacher and student. Second, since extinction
does not involve the use of any aversive punishments, negative side effects
are avoided. Third, while the effects of extinction may be gradual, the
duration of the effects is usually long term. Last, the reinforcement of
appropriate behaviors, while ignoring the inappropriate target behavior,
is the critical element of extinction.
In summary, extinction may
be effective when the teacher is able to:
1. identify the target behavior;
2. identify all reinforcers
that typically follow the target behavior;
3. be consistent in ignoring
the target behavior every time it is exhibited or doing something that
ensures that the reinforcer is not given;
4. maintain the procedure
through the expected extinction burst, which is when the student is persistent
in repeating the undesired behavior with greater frequency and intensity
in anticipation of the teacher giving in; and
5.maintain the procedure
through the expected spontaneous recovery period, which is the temporary
reoccurrence of a target behavior though the behavior has not been reinforced.
