Competition between noncontingent and contingent reinforcement schedules during response acquisition

We examined the extent to which noncontingent reinforcement (NCR), when use d as treatment to reduce problem behavior, might interfere with differentia l reinforcement contingencies designed to strengthen alternative behavior. After conducting a functional analysis to identify the reinforcers maintain ing 2 participants' self-injurious behavior (SIB), we delivered those reinf orcers under dense NCR schedules. We delivered the same reinforcers concurr ently under differential-reinforcement-of-alternative-behavior (DRA) contin gencies in an attempt to strengthen replacement behaviors (mands). Results showed that the NCR plus DRA intervention was associated with a decrease in SIE but little or no increase in appropriate mands. In a subsequent phase, when the NCR schedule was thinned while the DRA schedule remained unchange d, SIE remained low and mands increased. These results suggest that dense N CR schedules may alter establishing operations that result in not only supp ression of problem behavior but also interference with the acquisition of a ppropriate behavior. Thus, the strengthening of socially appropriate behavi ors as replacements for problem behavior during NCR interventions might bes t be achieved if the NCR schedule is first thinned.