THE INTERACTION OF NATURAL AND PRESCRIBED REINFORCEMENT HISTORIES: DIFFERENTIAL REINFORCEMENT EFFECTIVENESS

The effectiveness of three differential reinforcement techniques in reducing lever-pressing behavior was studied as a function of natural reinforcement history and prescribed schedule. The three differential reinforcement techniques under study included: (a) extinction of the old response with reinforcement for the new response, (b) extinction of the old response with double reinforcement for the new response, and (c) continuation of reinforcement for the old response with double reinforcement for the new response. Based upon a pre-baseline measure, thirty children with a natural high rate and 30 children with a natural low rate served as subjects, and were reinforced for tapping the assigned key on either a differential reinforcement of low rate (drl 5 ) or a differential reinforcement of high rate (Conjunctive VR 10-drh 5 ) schedule of reinforcement. Responding on the other key was then reinforced on a variable ratio (VR 35) schedule utilizing one of the three differential reinforcement techniques in order to eliminate the previously taught response. Findings indicated that a child\u27s natural history significantly influence subsequent rates of responding. Prescribed divergent schedules (drl vs. drh) effected changes in responding only while the child was being reinforced on that schedule. The differential reinforcement techniques did not produce significant differences between subjects\u27 performance on the new key, but did effect differences on the previously reinforced response