BehaviorBehavior refers to any activity or action that living organ... Chains are essential for teaching complex skills, particularly when a task involves a series of steps that must be performed in a specific order. Think about activities like brushing your teeth, tying your shoes, or making a sandwich—each of these can be broken down into smaller, teachable steps. This process is what we call a “Behavior ChainBehavior Chain is a sequence of specific, discrete behavi....”
So, what is a Behavior Chain exactly? It’s a sequence of distinct behaviors where each action serves two purposes:
- It provides reinforcement for the behavior that came before it.
- It cues or signals the next behavior in the sequence.
The chain continues until the learner reaches the final desired outcome. Here’s what makes a behavior chain so effective—it turns something complex into manageable, small steps, making it easier to teach and learn.
Key Features of Behavior Chains:
- Sequential Nature: The steps in a behavior chain must occur in order and follow each other closely in time.
- Conditioned Reinforcement: Each step alters the environment, providing reinforcement for the previous step and acting as a signal for the next one.
- Complex Skills: Behavior chains are perfect for teaching complicated tasks that involve several small steps, such as preparing food or dressing oneself.
Approaches to Teaching Behavior Chains
There are a few different strategies to teach behavior chains, each with its own unique benefits. Let’s explore them:
1. Forward ChainingForward Chaining is a teaching method used in behavior an...
Training begins with the first step in the sequence. The learner is taught to master the first step independently, while the therapist helps with the remaining steps. As the learner progresses, the focus shifts to each subsequent step, one at a time.
Pros:
- Allows for smaller, simpler chains to be linked together.
- Builds on success by starting from the beginning.
2. Backward Chaining
In backward chaining, the learner starts by mastering the last step in the sequence first. The therapist helps with all the earlier steps until the learner can perform the last step independently. The process then moves backward through the chain, with the learner mastering each step until they can complete the entire chain independently.
Pros:
- Immediate exposure to natural reinforcement at the end of each trial.
- Learners get the reward more quickly since they start at the end.
3. Backward Chaining with Leap-Aheads
This is similar to backward chaining but skips teaching steps that the learner can already perform. These steps are tested or “probed” to see if they’re in the learner’s repertoire, and if they are, the training skips over them.
Pros:
- Efficient because it focuses on only the necessary steps.
- Saves time by not reteaching what the learner already knows.
4. Total Task ChainingTotal Task Chaining refers to a training method in which th...
In this approach, the learner is trained on every step in the sequence during each session. The therapist assists (prompts) the learner through the entire chain, but the goal is to fade those prompts as the learner gains independence.
When to Use It:
- This approach works best when the learner knows many of the individual tasks but needs to learn how to perform them in the correct sequence.
- Great for learners with an imitative repertoire, or when the chain is relatively short and not overly complex.
Task Analysis: The Key to Effective Chaining
Before you can teach a behavior chain, you need to break the task down into teachable units. This process is called Task AnalysisTask Analysis is the process of breaking down a complex ski.... It involves identifying each step in the sequence, ensuring each step is small and manageable. A simple task analysis for brushing teeth might look like:
- Wet the toothbrush.
- Apply toothpaste.
- Brush the top teeth.
- Brush the bottom teeth.
- Rinse your mouth.
By breaking it down this way, you can teach each step in isolation before combining them into a chain.
Behavior Chain Interruption Strategy (BCIS)
Another helpful technique is the Behavior Chain Interruption Strategy (BCIS)The Behavior Chain Interruption Strategy (BCIS) is a teachin..., where the chain is intentionally interrupted at a specific point to encourage a new behavior. For example, if you interrupt the tooth-brushing chain before the learner rinses their mouth, they may be motivated to complete a new step (like asking for help) before being allowed to finish.
How it works:
- The interruption temporarily prevents access to reinforcement, creating motivation to learn the new behavior.
- It can be a little frustrating for the learner, but it’s highly effectiveEffective refers to one of the seven dimensions of Applied... in shapingShaping is defined as a systematic process in which success... new skills.
By temporarily restricting progress through the chain, BCIS creates opportunities for teaching new responses. Once the learner successfully performs the new step, they are allowed to complete the chain, accessing reinforcement as a result.
In Conclusion
Behavior chains are powerful tools for breaking down complex tasks into smaller, teachable steps. Whether you’re using forward chaining, backward chaining, or total task chaining, the goal is the same: to help learners achieve success, one step at a time. With the addition of task analysis and strategies like BCIS, you can tackle even the most challenging skills with confidence!