Abstract
The effects of fixed-time (FT) reinforcement schedules on the disruptive behavior of 4 students in special education classrooms were studied. Attention provided on FT schedules in the context of a multiple-baseline design across participants substantially decreased all students’ challenging behavior. Disruptive behavior was maintained at levels lower than baseline throughout reinforcement thinning and follow-up phases. The results extend existing literature on the use of FT schedules of reinforcement and provide evidence that FT schedules of reinforcement can be practical to implement in special educational classroom settings.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Asmus, J. M., Vollmer, T. R., & Borrero, J. C. (2002). Functional behavioral assessment: A school-based model. Education and Treatment of Children, 25, 67–90.
Boelens, H. (2005). Tim, Tom, and Tam. European Journal of Behavior Analysis, 6, 25–28.
Britton, L. N., Carr, J. E., Kellum, K. K., Dozier, C. L., & Weil, T. M. (2000). A variation of non-contingent reinforcement in the treatment of aberrant behavior. Research in Developmental Disabilities, 21, 425–435.
Buchanan, J. A., & Fisher, J. E. (2002). Functional assessment and non-contingent reinforcement in the treatment of disruptive vocalization in elderly dementia patients. Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 35, 99–103.
Carr, J. E., Bailey, J. S., Ecott, C. L., Lucker, K. D., & Weil, T. M. (1998). On the effects of noncontingent delivery of differing magnitudes of reinforcement. Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 31, 313–321.
Carr, J. E., Coriaty, S., Wilder, D. A., Gaunt, B. T., Dozier, C. L., Brittons, L. N., et al. (2000). A review of “non-contingent” reinforcement as treatment for the aberrant behavior of individuals with developmental disabilities. Research in Developmental Disabilities, 21, 377–391.
Carr, E. G., & Durand, V. M. (1985). Reducing behavior problems through functional communication training. Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 18, 11–126.
Carr, J. E., Kellum, K. K., & Chong, I. M. (2001). The reductive effects of noncontingent reinforcement: Fixed-time versus variable-time schedules. Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 34, 505–509.
Carr, J. E., & LeBlanc, L. A. (2006). Non-contingent reinforcement as antecedent behavior support. In J. K. Luiselli (Ed.), Antecedent assessment and intervention: Supporting children and adults with developmental disabilities in community settings (pp. 147–164). Baltimore, MD: Brookes.
Cooper, T. O., Heron, T. E., & Heward, W. L. (2007). Applied behavior analysis (2nd ed.). New Jersey: Person Merrill Prentice Hall.
Dozier, C. L., Carr, J. E., Enloe, K., Landaburu, H., Eastridge, D., & Kellum, K. K. (2001). Using fixed-time schedules to maintain behavior: A preliminary investigation. Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 34, 337–340.
Gresham, F., Watson, T. S., & Skinner, C. H. (2001). Functional behavioral assessment: Principles, procedures, and future directions. School Psychology Review, 30, 156–172.
Hagopian, L. P., Fisher, W. W., & Legacy, S. M. (1994). Schedule effects of noncontingent reinforcement on attention-maintained destructive behavior in identical quadruplets. Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 27, 317–325.
Hagopian, L. P., LeBlanc, L. A., & Maglieri, K. A. (2000). Non-contingent attention for the treatment of excessive medical complaints in a medically fragile man with mental retardation. Research in Developmental Disabilities, 21, 215–221.
Hagopian, L. P., Toole, L. M., Long, E. S., Bowman, L. G., & Lieving, G. A. (2004). A comparison of dense-to-lean and fixed-lean schedules of alternative reinforcement and extinction. Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 37, 323–338.
Hall, S. S. (2005). Comparing descriptive, experimental and informant-based assessments of problem behaviors. Research in Developmental Disabilities, 26, 514–526.
Hanley, G. P., Piazza, C. C., & Fisher, W. W. (1997). Noncontingent presentation of attention and alternative stimuli in the treatment of attention-maintained destructive behavior. Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 30, 229–237.
Jones, K. M., Drew, H. A., & Weber, N. L. (2000). Non-contingent peer attention as treatment for disruptive classroom behavior. Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 33, 343–346.
Kahng, S., Iwata, B. A., DeLeon, I. G., & Wallace, M. D. (2000a). A comparison of procedures for programming noncontingent reinforcement schedules. Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 33, 223–231.
Kahng, S., Iwata, B. A., Thompson, R. H., & Hanley, G. P. (2000b). A method for identifying satiation versus extinction effects under noncontingent reinforcement schedules. Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 33, 419–432.
Lang, R., O’Reilly, M. F., Sigafoos, J., Machalicek, W., Rispoli, M., Shogren, K., et al. (2010). Review of teacher involvement in the applied intervention research for children with autism spectrum disorders. Education and Training in Autism and Developmental Disability, 45, 268–283.
Lerman, D. C., & Iwata, B. A. (1993). Descriptive and experimental analyses of variables maintaining self injurious behavior. Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 26, 293–319.
Miltenberger, R. G. (2005). The role of negative reinforcement in clinical problems. International Journal of Behavioral and Consultation Therapy, 1, 1–11.
O’Callaghan, P. M., Allen, K. D., Powell, S., & Salaman, F. (2006). The efficacy of non-contingent escape for decreasing children’s disruptive behavior during restorative dental treatment. The Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 39, 161–171.
O’Neill, R. E., Horner, R. H., Richard, W. A., Sprague, J. R., Keith, S., & Newton, S. J. (1997). Functional assessment and program development for problem behavior: A practical handbook (2nd ed.). California: Brooks/Cole Publishing Company.
Rasmussen, R., & O’Neill, R. E. (2006). The effects of fixed-time reinforcement schedules on problem behavior of children with emotional and behavioral disorders in a day-treatment classroom setting. Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 39, 453–457.
Reilly, M., Sigafoos, J., Olive, M., Lancioni, G. E., Edrisinha, C., & Choi, H. Y. (2005). Non-contingent reinforcement for the standpoint of an applied behavior analyst. European Journal of Behavior Analysis, 6, 33–40.
Thompson, R. H., & Iwata, B. A. (2007). A comparison of outcomes from descriptive and functional analyses of problem behavior. Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 40, 333–338.
Tieghi-Benet, M. C., Miller, K., Reiners, J., Robinett, B. E., Smith, C. L., Baer, D., & Palmer, A. (2003). Encouraging student progress (ESP), student/team book. Lawrence, KS: University of Kansas.
Van Camp, C. M., Lerman, D. C., Kelley, M. E., Construcci, S. A., & Vordran, C. M. (2000). Variable-time reinforcement schedules in the treatment of socially maintained problem behavior. Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 33, 545–557.
Vollmer, T. R., Iwata, B. A., Zarcone, J. R., Smith, R. G., & Mazaleski, J. L. (1993). The role of attention in the treatment of attention-maintained self-injurious behavior: Non-contingent reinforcement and differential reinforcement of other behavior. Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 26, 9–21.
Vollmer, T. R., Progar, P. R., Lalli, J. S., Van Camp, C. M., Sierp, B. J., Wright, C. S., et al. (1998). Fixed-time schedules attenuate extinction-induced phenomena in the treatment of severe aberrant behavior. Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 31, 529–542.
Wilder, D. A., & Carr, J. E. (1998). Recent advances in the modification of establishing operations to reduce aberrant behavior. Behavioral Interventions, 13, 43–59.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Tomlin, M., Reed, P. Effects of Fixed-Time Reinforcement Delivered by Teachers for Reducing Problem Behavior in Special Education Classrooms. J Behav Educ 21, 150–162 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10864-012-9147-z
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10864-012-9147-z