preview

Positive And Negative Reinforcement

Good Essays

The purpose of this study is to identify whether other methods of positive reinforcement (low-preference edible items and high-preference leisure items) dependent on compliance would result in a decrease in problem behavior and an increase in compliance in a 19-year-old man with profound intellectual disability and destructive behaviors (Carter, 2010). Literature Review Positive reinforcement and negative reinforcement have been studied by various researchers to examine an effective solution for children and adolescence to increase compliance and decrease problematic behaviors. Results of these studies have identified that participants favored highly preferred food items over breaks or access to high-preference toys (DeLeon, Neidert, Anders, & Rodriguez-Catter, 2001; Kodak, Lerman, Volkert, & Trosclair, 2007). It has also been found that five children showed a decrease in escape-maintained problem behaviors when compliance produced an edible reinforcement (Lalli et al., 1999). The current study is an extension of the study conducted by Lalli et al. (1999), and aims to determine the effects of positive and negative reinforcement with and without extinction by providing other forms of reinforcement besides edible items. Method Participant and Data Collection The participant of this study is a 19-year-old man with profound intellectual disabilities who has limited communication and requires assistance with self-care activities (Carter, 2010). The participant has also

Get Access