Field Report: Beyond the Dog.
Teach the replacement skill in a “clean” room where problem behavior never earns a thing, then transfer back.
01Research in Context
What this study did
Reed (2015) tested a twist on DRA. They taught a new skill in one room. Problem behavior never got rewards in that room.
Later they returned the learner to the old room where problem behavior had once paid off. They wanted to see if the problem response would come roaring back.
What they found
When DRA was taught in a separate, “clean” context, problem behavior stayed low later. The trick kept the gains without making the old response stronger.
How this fits with other research
Bhaumik et al. (2009) already showed plain DRA cuts destructive acts. Reed (2015) adds a simple rule: teach the new skill where the problem never wins.
Podlesnik et al. (2026) went further. They trained the new skill in many rooms instead of just one. Both tricks lower relapse, so pick one that fits your clinic space.
Brown et al. (2020) looked at DRA with and without extinction. They saw equal resurgence later even when extinction was used. Reed (2015) seems to disagree, but the tasks and measures differ. The separate-context idea is still worth trying.
Why it matters
You can guard against relapse without fancy tech. Run DRA in a spot where problem behavior has zero history of payoff. After the new skill is solid, bring the learner back to the old space. You keep the gains and dodge the bounce-back.
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02At a glance
03Original abstract
Basic research with pigeons on behavioral momentum suggests that differential reinforcement of alternative behavior (DRA) can increase the resistance of target behavior to change. This finding suggests that clinical applications of DRA may inadvertently increase the persistence of target behavior even as it decreases its frequency. We conducted three coordinated experiments to test whether DRA has persistence-strengthening effects on clinically significant target behavior and then tested the effectiveness of a possible solution to this problem in both a nonhuman and clinical study. Experiment 1 compared resistance to extinction following baseline rates of reinforcement versus higher DRA rates of reinforcement in a clinical study. Resistance to extinction was substantially greater following DRA. Experiment 2 tested a rat model of a possible solution to this problem. Training an alternative response in a context without reinforcement of the target response circumvented the persistence-strengthening effects of DRA. Experiment 3 translated the rat model into a novel clinical application of DRA. Training an alternative response with DRA in a separate context resulted in lower resistance to extinction than employing DRA in the context correlated with reinforcement of target behavior. The value of coordinated bidirectional translational research is discussed.
Behavior analysis in practice, 2015 · doi:10.1901/jeab.2010.93-349