DRO (Differential Reinforcementย of Otherย Behavior)ย is aย behaviorย reduction strategy in which reinforcement is delivered only when the target problemย behaviorย does not occur for a specified period of time. The focus is on reinforcing the absence of the problemย behaviorย rather than a specific alternativeย behavior. The goal is to decrease the occurrence of the undesiredย behaviorย by providing reinforcement only during intervals in which theย behaviorย does not occur.
Example
A child frequently talks out of turn during group lessons. The teacher implementsย DROย by setting a timer for 5 minutes. If the child refrains from talking out of turn for the entire 5-minute interval, they receive a token or verbal praise. If the child talks out of turn during the interval, the timer is reset, and no reinforcement is given. Over time, the child learns that remaining quiet during the specified time results in reinforcement, reducing the occurrence of the disruptiveย behavior.