The document describes seven methods for decreasing undesirable behaviors in educational settings, including differential reinforcement, extinction, reprimands, loss of privileges, time-out, punishment, and desensitization. Differential reinforcement involves reinforcing appropriate behaviors while not reinforcing inappropriate ones. The document also discusses the types and appropriate uses of each behavior decreasing method.

1. Ch. 07: Methods of
Decreasing Behavior
Jemimah Valencia
ED457
March 08, 2012

2. Chapter Objectives
O Describe seven (7) methods of
decreasing behavior.
O Demonstrate the appropriate
methods for specific target
behaviors

3. Aversives in the Educational
Setting
Aversives –unpleasant
consequence, intervention as action
by the teacher to decrease
appropriate behavior, and restriction
as the degree of regulation to
control the use of an intervention.

4. Differential Reinforcement
• Defined as the process of reinforcing an
appropriate behavior in the presence of one
stimulus and, simultaneously, not
reinforcing an inappropriate behavior in the
presence of another stimulus.

5. Three Types of Differential
Reinforcements:
O Differential reinforcement of zero rates of
behavior (DRO)
O Differential reinforcement of incompatible
behaviors (DRI)
O Differential reinforcements of lower rates of
behavior (DRL)

6. Extinction
O The
discontinuation or
withholding of the
reinforcer of a
behavior that has
previously been
reinforcing the
behavior.

7. Reprimands
O To scold, “yell at,” “bawl out,” or
otherwise verbally chastise for
exhibiting an inappropriate target
behavior.

8. Loss of Privileges
O Deprivation of privileges or
response cost

9. Time-Out
The removal of a child from an
apparently reinforcing setting to a
presumably nonreinforcing setting for
a specified and limited period of time

10. Video

11. Punishment
An intervention used to
decrease or eliminate an
inappropriate behavior
Two distinct forms:
O Physical or
psychological
O “Subtraction”

12. Desensitization
O The process of
systematically
lessening a
specific, learned fear
or phobic reaction in
an individual

13. What would you do?

14. Questions
O Would you consider utilizing all methods
for decreasing behavior? Why or Why
not?
O Of the methods discussed, which would
you utilize the least? Why?
O Which method do you feel is most
flexible/fitting in almost any kind of
behavior type?

15. Summary
O Differential Reinforcement allows us to „accentuate
the positive to eliminate the negative.‟
O Extinction is also known as „systematic ignoring.‟
O Reprimands are verbal statements made on the
exhibition of an undesirable target behavior.
O Loss of privileges are also known as „response-cost.‟
O Time-Out removes students from educational
opportunities.
O Punishment is only effective for short-term changes.
O Desensitization presents a series of experiences to
lessen the fear or anxiety related to a specific
experience or event.

16. References
Information:
O “Behavior Management” A Practical Approach for
Education, 9th ed. By James E. Walker, thomas M.
Shea, and Anne M. Bauer
O http://iris.peabody.vanderbilt.edu/bi2/bi2_07.html
O http://specialed.about.com/od/glossary/g/Extinction-
Eliminating-Problem-Behaviors.htm
O http://www.education.com/reference/article/time-outs-
decreasing-problem-behavior/
O http://www.indiastudychannel.com/resources/97705-
Classroom-Reprimands-Is-right-do-so.aspx
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