Abolishing and establishing operation analyses of social attention as positive reinforcement for problem behavior.

Researchers tested how pre-session attention changes problem behavior. They gave three adults 45 minutes of nonstop social attention right before sessions. In other sessions they gave no attention beforehand.

They used an alternating treatments design. Problem behavior was measured during each session. The goal was to see if attention works like an establishing operation.

Rich pre-session attention made problem behavior worse. No pre-session attention made it better. This confirms attention can act as both an establishing and abolishing operation.

The effect was clear and immediate. One 45-minute attention burst was enough to increase subsequent problem behavior.

Nevin et al. (2005) showed the same EO principle with food instead of attention. They withheld snacks to make kids ask peers for them. Both studies prove you can manipulate motivation by controlling access to reinforcers.

Rey et al. (2020) looked at DRO for attention-seeking behavior. Their work shows attention timing matters in different ways. While Jones et al. (2010) front-loads attention before sessions, Rey shows how to manage it during sessions through differential reinforcement.

Berler et al. (1982) first showed this pattern in rats. A stimulus before food made suppressed lever pressing return. The human study mirrors this early animal work - pre-events can disinhibit behavior.

Before your next session, check how much attention your client just received. If they got lots of attention from parents or staff, expect more attention-seeking behaviors during your session. You might need extra prompts or reinforcement for appropriate requests. Conversely, if they've been alone or ignored, they may be less motivated to seek attention through problem behavior. This simple check takes 30 seconds but can guide your whole session plan.