Which procedure involves providing the functional reinforcer contingent on performance of positive skills/behaviors while withholding the same reinforcer contingent on target negative behaviors, possibly on an all-or-nothing or gradient basis?

• A. Differential Reinforcement Procedures
• B. Differential Reinforcement of Alternative Behaviors (DRA)
• C. Differential Reinforcement of Other Behaviors (DRO)
• D. Differential Reinforcement of Incompatible Behaviors (DRI)

Answer: (A)

The idea being tested is differential reinforcement procedures. This family of strategies involves reinforcing a desired set of behaviors (in this case, positive skills) while withholding reinforcement for the target negative behaviors. The key is that the reinforcer is contingent on performing the appropriate behaviors and not on the negative ones, which can be implemented on either an all-or-nothing basis or on a gradient schedule as you shape and thin reinforcement over time.

Specific forms like reinforcing an alternative behavior (DRA), reinforcing the absence of problem behavior (DRO), or reinforcing a behavior incompatible with the problem behavior (DRI) are all examples within this broader umbrella, but the description given aligns with the general differential reinforcement approach itself.