What is Reinforcement in ABA? Understanding Behaviour Management
Updated: Sep 25
Reinforcement is a powerful tool for teaching positive behaviours. It is a core principle of ABA therapy, used to teach communication and independence. By understanding how reinforcement works and using it effectively, we can create an environment that encourages learners to develop essential skills.
Reinforcement increases the likelihood of a behaviour happening again by (1) adding something desirable, or (2) removing something unpleasant. While reinforcement is used therapeutically by ABA therapists, reinforcement happens all around us, shaping our behaviour every single day.
Even simple actions, like checking your phone and finding a message can be reinforcing, because the satisfaction of receiving a message encourages you to check your phone more. Negative behaviours also persist because they've been reinforced. For example, if speeding consistently helps someone avoid the unpleasant consequence of being late, the speeding behaviour is more likely to continue. These everyday examples show how reinforcement shapes our actions, often without us realising it.
There are two types of reinforcement:
Positive reinforcement involves adding positive consequences to strengthen and increase a behaviour. For example, if a learner completes their homework for the day, the caregiver may praise their efforts and give them a small treat or extra playtime. By associating the completion of homework with positive consequences, the learner is more likely to do their homework.
Negative reinforcement involves removing negative consequences to strengthen and increase a behaviour. For example, a learner is taught to ask for a break if a task is too difficult in order to replace the behaviour of screaming. If asking for a break results in the difficult task being paused or removed, the learner begins to replace screaming behaviour with calm communication.
A reinforcer is not simply a reward. It is anything that increases the likelihood of the behaviour happening again. What works as a reinforcer can differ between learners, and what is reinforcing at one time to a learner may not be reinforcing in another context.
The timing of reinforcement influences how effective it is. While immediate reinforcement is often most effective, delayed reinforcement can also work if the connection between the behaviour and the reinforcer is clear and motivating enough to the learner.
Using the appropriate strength of reinforcement is also important. If the reinforcer is too weak, it may not be motivating enough. If it is too strong or frequent, it could lead to dependence, unrealistic expectations, and over time reduce the effectiveness of the reinforcer. Matching the strength of the reinforcement to the learner's effort and progress helps to sustain motivation and encourages independence.
Just as positive behaviours can be increased by providing a positive consequence, behaviours of concern also increase when they're reinforced.
Example: A child begins banging their head on the wall while playing by themselves. The caregiver responds by immediately going over to the child to give them attention.
While this stops the child from banging their head, the caregiver has taught them that if they bang their head, they will receive attention from the caregiver. Instead of reinforcing head-banging with attention, we might teach the learner to say "play with me" and reinforce the behaviour of speech with attention.
Examples of reinforcers
Verbal praise: A simple yet powerful reinforcer is verbal praise. When a learner completes a task, such as tidying up their toys, offering specific and sincere praise like, "Great job cleaning up your toys! You're being responsible!" can motivate them to continue doing it.
Tangible rewards: Offering small rewards can be effective in reinforcing positive behaviour. For example, if a learner stays calm during a family gathering, providing an edible treat, or extra playtime can serve as tangible reinforcement.
Token systems: This involves providing tokens (such as stickers) that learners can collect and exchange for rewards. This strategy is especially useful for promoting long-term behaviour change. For example, a learner earns a token for each chore completed, which can then be exchanged for privileges at the end of the week.
Social attention: For learners who find social interaction rewarding, interacting and playing with them as a consequence of a positive behaviour increases the frequency of that behaviour. For example, a learner that shares with their peer receives positive attention from them, motivating future sharing behaviour.
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