Effects consistent with behavioral contrast during a multiple schedule for discrimination training on mands for attention

Three children who asked for attention too often worked with a therapist.

The room had two parts. When the therapist wore a black cap, no attention came. When the cap came off, attention returned.

The team watched how many requests each child made in each part.

Requests dropped by half when the cap was on. When the cap came off, requests doubled.

This jump shows positive behavioral contrast. The cap acted like a stop sign for asking.

Reynolds (1968) first showed contrast in pigeons. Bayaruga et al. now prove the same law works for kids’ mands.

Rogers-Warren et al. (1976) found no contrast when reinforcement stayed equal. Here, the cap created true extinction, so contrast appeared. That solves the clash.

Reynolds (1966) saw contrast fade after long training. The new study kept phases short, so the spike stayed large. Short runs may be key for clinical contrast.

You can trim excessive mands with a cheap visual cue. Put on the cue when you need quiet work. Remove it when you want the child to speak up. The contrast boost gives you a free jump in appropriate requests. Try one clear cue and keep training blocks short to keep the effect strong.