Noncontingent reinforcement (NCR) involves the delivery of maintaining reinforcers on a time-dependent schedule and often includes extinction. However, arbitrary reinforcers may be equally efficacious during NCR without extinction for treating escape-maintained problem behavior. The purpose of this study was to extend previous research on NCR by evaluating the relative efficacy of NCR without extinction and comparing maintaining versus arbitrary reinforcers for 4 individuals with escape-maintained problem behavior. Two different NCR conditions, NCR using the maintaining reinforcer (escape) and NCR using an arbitrary reinforcer (an edible), were evaluated using multielement and reversal designs. Treatment effects varied across participants. Results for 2 participants showed a reduction in problem behavior during NCR without extinction with both the arbitrary and maintaining reinforcers. For 1 participant, results showed a reduction in problem behavior with both the arbitrary and maintaining reinforcers only when extinction was added to NCR. For the 4th participant, the maintaining reinforcer was effective during NCR without extinction, but the arbitrary reinforcer was ineffective.

中文翻译：

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非偶然性强化：逃避维持问题行为的任意强化物与维持强化物

非偶然性强化 (NCR) 涉及按照时间相关的时间表提供维持强化物，通常包括消退。然而，在 NCR 期间，任意强化剂可能同样有效，而不会灭绝用于治疗逃避维持的问题行为。本研究的目的是通过评估 NCR 在没有灭绝的情况下的相对功效，并比较 4 名有逃避维持问题行为的个体的维持与任意强化剂，从而扩展先前对 NCR 的研究。两种不同的 NCR 条件，使用维持强化物（逃逸）的 NCR 和使用任意强化物（可食用的）的 NCR，使用多元素和逆转设计进行评估。治疗效果因参与者而异。2 名参与者的结果显示，在 NCR 期间问题行为减少，而任意和维持强化物均未消失。对于 1 名参与者，结果显示只有在 NCR 中添加灭绝时，任意和维持强化物的问题行为都会减少。对于第 4 名参与者，在 NCR 期间维持强化剂有效而未消退，但任意强化剂无效。