"No Free Access" rule in positive reinforcement!

There are several basic rules to using positive reinforcement that will make or break it's effectiveness. One basic rule is "no free access." You need to make sure that the child only has access to the desired event (reinforcer), if and only if he performs the desired behavior to earn it. If you are going to use television as the reinforcer, then h...e should not get free access to the television at other times. If he gets access to it free at other times, he will not be motivated to work to get it. Many times I see parents use the person's favorite activity as reinforcement, when the child engages in that activity frequently without having to work for it.

The events on the reinforcer menu need to be (1) items you can control access to, (2) you can make contingent on, if and only if, the child engages in the desired behavior, and (3) that the child does not earn so frequently that he is no longer interested in working for it. So, be prepared, if you want to use the child's favorite activity to reinforce desirable behavior, then the child "only" gets the favorite activity when he completes the desired events. If you give in and let him engage in the reinforcing event at other times, it will weaken the probably that it will increase the desired behavior you wish to increase. If the child needs to have that favorite activity to keep him occupied, and you are not prepared to hold it back until he does what is required, then use something else.

The only way you can have the best of the two worlds, is if you can control the 'best" part of the activity. Less say your child loves to watch television. His favor show is Disney cartoons. If you need to allow him to watch television as a free time activity to occupy his time, then you can allow watching television as free activity, but make watching Disney cartoons contingent on the desired behaviors. In this, you buy a series of Disney cartoon DVDs, and have the child earn watching these as the reinforcer for desired behavior. He can continue to watch television at other times, just not Disney Cartoons. The only time that they can watch Disney Cartoons is when he earns it. Or, if snacks are going to be used as reinforcers, ice cream and chips are contingent on doing things, while apples and oranges are free.

So next time you are wondering why the reinforcement procedure is not working, look to see if the child is getting access to the event for free at other times.

 

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