DRI (Differential Reinforcementย of Incompatibleย Behavior)ย is aย behaviorย modification technique where reinforcement is provided for aย behaviorย that is physically incompatible with the maladaptiveย behavior. This means that the individual cannot engage in both the inappropriateย behaviorย and the alternative, reinforcedย behaviorย at the same time. The inappropriateย behaviorย is placed on extinctionExtinction is a behavioral intervention where reinforcement ... More, meaning it is no longer reinforced.
Example
A child tends to run around the classroom during lessons. The teacher implementsย DRIย by reinforcing the child for sitting in their seat (an incompatibleย behaviorย with running). Every time the child remains seated, they are praised or rewarded. Because the child cannot physically run and sit at the same time, the sittingย behaviorย is incompatible with the runningย behavior, and over time, sitting increases while running decreases.