Discuss the five points teachers should consider when positive reinforcement appears not to be working.

Question

What will be an ideal response?

Answer 1

Ans: Responses should include the following:
• Teachers need to ask whether the behavior or task is within the student’s repertoire. That is, can the student do the task or behave in the manner expected? Teachers need to examine whether they are setting up their students for failure. Positive reinforcement is not effective if the student is incapable of performing the task or exhibiting the behavior that will result in the reinforcing consequence. Positive reinforcement cannot take the place of effective instruction.
• Teachers should analyze whether the consequence is actually reinforcing to the student. The teacher may have selected the reinforce based on careful observation, or even asked the student directly, but if the desired effect is not occurring, the object, activity, or social interaction is not reinforcing the student and needs to be reexamined.
• The amount of time that elapses between the occurrence of the behavior and the administration of the reinforce needs to be evaluated. The reinforcer must be delivered as soon after the behavior occurs as possible in order for it to be paired with the behavior and thus be effective.
• Teachers need to examine the schedule of reinforcement, specifically the frequency with which the positive reinforcement is being delivered. If reinforcers are administered too frequently, students can experience satiation. If reinforcers are administered too infrequently, they are not powerful enough to act as reinforcers.
• Schedules of reinforcement should be thinned. When students are learning a new skill, they may need to be reinforced for each accurate or appropriate response.
• It is possible that what reinforces the student may not be under the control of the teacher. Involvement of parents and other family members can help in this instance. Parents can make events or privileges at home contingent on social or academic behavior at school.