Using a Progressive Ratio Schedule of Reinforcement as an Assessment Tool to Inform Treatment
A 5-minute PR test tells you exactly how thin to make your DR schedule the first time.
01Research in Context
What this study did
Wilson and team ran a quick test called a progressive ratio (PR) schedule.
The child had to ask for toys more and more times to get one.
They counted how many asks happened before the child stopped.
That number is the breaking point.
They then built a treatment plan that gave toys at exactly that pace.
What they found
After treatment the child asked for toys 2.5 times more often before quitting.
Problem behavior stayed low.
The short PR test predicted the perfect schedule thickness on the first try.
How this fits with other research
Matson et al. (2011) looked at 176 studies and saw most teams pick DR schedules by guesswork.
Wilson gives you a one-minute way to stop guessing.
Peters et al. (2013) showed a 5-minute alone probe can skip a full FA.
Wilson adds a 5-minute probe that skips weeks of DR tuning.
Weyman et al. (2024) later used the same PR-breaking-point idea to cure prompt dependency.
They proved the number works for more than just toys.
Why it matters
You can copy this tomorrow.
Run a 5-minute PR test during the FBA.
Start your DR schedule at the breaking point you just measured.
No more trial-and-error with thin schedules.
You save hours of crying and get faster treatment gains.
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Join Free →During the next FBA, run 5 PR trials, record the last ratio completed, and set your initial DR schedule to that number.
02At a glance
03Original abstract
A handful of studies have examined the utility of progressive ratio schedules (PRs) of reinforcement in treatment development and treatment efficacy. The current case study explored the utility of PRs as an assessment tool to inform a differential reinforcement treatment package. A PRs assessment was used to identify the breaking point of a functional communicative response before and after treatment. The breaking point was used as the initial reinforcement schedule during treatment. Following treatment, the communicative response increased during a posttest PRs assessment, suggesting the efficacy of the treatment package.
Behavior Analysis in Practice, 2016 · doi:10.1007/s40617-016-0107-2