Myth:
ABA uses “Bribery” Bribery often includes a negotiation in which something desirable is used as leverage in order to influence or change an undesirable outcome. Bribery involves criminal and illegal activities.
Reality:
ABA uses Reinforcement Reinforcement is a concept studied and backed by scientific research. Referring back to what we learned about the “consequences” of behavior in our last ABA resource blog we can now build upon this knowledge. Reinforcement is when a “consequence” strengthens or increases the likelihood of a behavior occurring again in the future.
For the examples below, we will highlight what the reinforcement is in blue, behavior strengthening examples in green, and increases in behavior will be in orange. In these examples you are also able to see how naturally we are exposed to reinforcement in our day to day lives and how they can positively impact a learner.
Example one:
Sarah does not like green vegetables and peas are on the menu this evening for dinner. Sarah’s mom knows that she loves bread so she includes a plate with one dinner roll in the center of the dinner table as well. During dinner Sarah puts one green pea into her mouth, mom offers praise and gives her a small portion of her dinner roll to enjoy. As a result, Sarah places another pea into her mouth. Mom offers praise once again. Sarah then takes a pinch of three peas in her mouth. Mom gives another small portion of the dinner roll to Sarah. Sarah eats one more pea and mom gives Sarah the last small portion of the roll praises Sarah and lets her know she can be all done with her green peas if she would like but that her bread was now all gone.
Example two:
Kyle has to have his favorite stuffed animal affectionately named, “Ducky,” in order to sleep at night. Kyle’s room is a bit of a mess and Ducky is nowhere to be found. Kyle is tired and it is getting late, but he is really worried about the whereabouts of his stuffed animal and knows he cannot relax enough to sleep until he finds it. During his search, he begins to put things away such as toys, loose clothing, other stuffed animals, and books. Once the room is cleaner and clear of clutter, he is able to locate Ducky! Kyle starts to keep his room cleaner and clear of clutter right before bedtime to avoid a missing and beloved stuffed animal he sleeps with. As time goes on, Kyle develops the skills and motivation to put things back where he gets them throughout the day and not just right before bedtime.
Blog by: Amber F. M.Ed., BCBA
