Differential reinforcement of low rates of responding (DRL) to reduce dysfunctional social behaviors of a head injured man

Abstract

Differential reinforcement of low rates of responding (DRL) is a technique in which a positive reinforcer is delivered at the end of a specific interval if a target behavior has occurred at a criterion rate. Traditionally, it has been used in educational settings to manage classroom behaviors. Recently, therapists have begun to use DRL to reduce the rates of a variety of behaviors in non-educational settings. In this study, DRL was part of a behavioral intervention to reduce dysfunctional verbal and physical behaviors of a head-injured young man. The complete intervention program included DRL, changing criteria, and token reinforcement. Over a period of 15 weeks, the intervention resulted in reductions in behaviors in both categories from high rates to near-zero rates.

Using Differential Reinforcement of Low Rates to Reduce Children's Requests for Teacher Attention

“…The procedure also was effective in reducing the number of times a group of typically developing high school girls engaged in conversations unrelated to classroom tasks. In applications outside the classroom, Turner, Green, and Braunling‐McMorrow (1990) used full‐session DRL to reduce inappropriate verbal and physical behavior of a 21‐year‐old man with traumatic brain injury. By gradually reducing the number of responses allowed per session and increasing the total session time, the authors achieved lower rates of inappropriate behavior across a range of settings.…”

Staff-reported antecedents to aggression in a post-acute brain injury treatment programme: What are they and what implications do they have for treatment?

“…These contingencies are then manipulated in an attempt to weaken aggressive responses via either extinction or punishment. Initially, FBA-derived treatments tended to have a primary focus on the alteration of consequences for aggression (Fowles & Fox, 1995; Swan & Alderman, 2004; Turner, Green, & Braunling-McMorrow, 1990; Watson, Rutterford, Shortland, Williamson, & Alderman, 2001; Wilson & Barrett, 1998; Ylvisaker et al, 2007; Yody et al, 2000). …”

Remediating Serious Inappropriate Sexual Behavior in a Male with Severe Acquired Brain Injury

“…An additional concern relates to comorbid verbal and physical aggression common in many of the reported cases (e.g., [12,15,17]). Little is known about the course of aggressive behaviors in the context of treating ISBs after ABI; whether they interfere with interventions targeting ISBs or alternatively, whether the effects of the ISB treatment generalize and reduce such behaviors.…”

“…Evidence supporting the efficacy of the behavioral interventions, however, has not been conclusive, with only one of the cases reporting extinction of the target ISBs [12]. Also, methodological shortcomings in the behavioral studies [12][13][14][15][16][17] mean that caution is required in attributing causality to the interventions in achieving the ISB reductions.…”

“…Existing treatment approaches include pharmacotherapy (e.g., [11]), or more commonly, behavioral interventions such as scheduled feedback [12][13][14][15] and differential reinforcement of low rates of behavior [16,17]. Evidence supporting the efficacy of the behavioral interventions, however, has not been conclusive, with only one of the cases reporting extinction of the target ISBs [12].…”