Behavior Contrast

Behavior Contrast occurs when a change in the rate of reinforcement in one context leads to an opposite change in the behavior’s frequency in another context. Specifically, when a behavior is reduced in one setting due to a decrease in reinforcement, it may increase in a different setting where reinforcement remains the same or increases.

Example:

A student talks out of turn frequently in both math and reading classes. The teacher implements a reinforcement strategy to reduce this behavior during math class, and the student begins talking out of turn less often in that class. However, the student then starts talking out of turn more frequently in reading class, where no intervention has been applied. This is behavior contrast—a reduction in behavior in one context leading to an increase in another.

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