Mastering Contingency Control and Behavioral Learning

Contingency Control in Learning

There are two primary principles in contingency control: reinforcement and aversive stimuli.

• Reinforcement: Any contingency associated with a subject's response that increases the likelihood of that behavior being repeated.
• Aversion: Any contingency that, when associated with a response, reduces the probability of that behavior occurring in the future.

Aversive reinforcements can be categorized into three types: material, social, or activity-based. Contingency control involves managing these reinforcements and aversive stimuli to effectively increase or decrease specific behaviors.

Procedures to Increase Behavior

There are two primary methods to encourage or increase the frequency of a behavior:

1. Positive Reinforcement: Administering a reward to increase the rate of a behavior.
2. Negative Reinforcement: Withdrawing an aversive stimulus to increase the rate of a behavior.

Procedures to Reduce Behavior

There are two ways to reduce or extinguish a behavior:

1. Punishment: Applying an aversive stimulus to reduce the probability of a behavior.
2. Extinction: Removing a reinforcement to reduce the likelihood of a behavior.

Note: It is advisable to avoid overusing punishment, as it may create a behavioral vacuum. The preferred alternative is to use extinction while simultaneously installing an alternative behavior to replace the previous one.

Correction of Learning Errors

When a subject engages in a learning activity, they receive initial information regarding the task. If an error occurs, it is crucial to stop the process before the mistake becomes automated. An error is defined as an incorrect component of a given motor program.

1. Initial Learning Phase

In this stage, we use differential reinforcement. Instead of focusing on the failure, emphasize the aspects performed correctly. This applies positive reinforcement to encourage persistence. Subsequently, provide clear, specific instructions on the correct technique, followed by a demonstration of the correct model and a repeated execution.

2. Established Error Phase

When an error has become settled, apply the technique of overcorrection. The emphasis shifts to providing specific feedback so the subject understands their misalignment. Follow this with an alternative behavior and conclude the process with a new, correct implementation.