Differential reinforcement of other behavior (DRO) is a commonly used technique for behavior reduction, yet there has been little to no emphasis on the possible strengthening effects on other behavior. We included 2 responses (target and other) across 3 treatment schedules (DRO, extinction, and fixed time [FT]) in a human-operant procedure to determine the extent to which reinforcer presentation at the completion of the DRO interval could strengthen other responding. A computer program arranged for unsignaled changes in contingencies to a target response and never provided reinforcers for the other response. All 13 college-student participants exhibited more other responses than target responses during at least 1 exposure to DRO. Although there was a slight increase in other behavior during extinction, overall rates of other responding were never higher than that of the target response. Furthermore, 7 of 13 participants never emitted the other response during the FT condition. The findings provide some support for the response-strengthening effects of DRO.
Meta‐analytic methods provide a way to synthesize data across treatment evaluation studies. However, these well‐accepted methods are infrequent with behavior analytic studies. Multilevel models may be a promising method to meta‐analyze single‐case data. This technical article provides a primer for how to conduct a multilevel model with single‐case designs with AB phases using data from the differential‐reinforcement‐of‐low‐rate behavior literature. We provide details, recommendations, and considerations for searching for appropriate studies, organizing the data, and conducting the analyses. All data sets are available to allow the reader to follow along with this primer. The purpose of this technical article is to minimally equip behavior analysts to complete a meta‐analysis that will summarize a current state of affairs as it relates to the science of behavior analysis and its practice. Moreover, we aim to demonstrate the value of analyses of this sort for behavior analysis.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.