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interventions other than punishment that a teacher uses when a student consistently behaves inappropriately in the classroom. Instead of immediately using punishment, the first interventions to try when a teacher observes inappropriate student behavior consistently occurring in a classroom are the differential reinforcement techniques. These include differential reinforcement of low rates of behavior (DRL), differential reinforcement of other behavior (DRO), and differential reinforcement of incompatible behavior (DRI).

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Instead of immediately using punishment, the first interventions to try when a teacher observes inappropriate student behavior consistently occurring in a classroom are the differential reinforcement techniques. These include differential reinforcement of low rates of behavior (DRL), differential reinforcement of other behavior (DRO), and differential reinforcement of incompatible behavior (DRI).

  • The DRL procedure involves reduction of an inappropriate student behavior that occurs far too frequently, and the goal is to reduce it to a level that is typical of most others in the classroom who behave appropriately most of the time.
  • Differential reinforcement of other (DRO) behavior is very similar to DRL except that the teacher reinforces only the student’s complete absence of the target inappropriate behavior (or zero demonstrations).
  • With differential reinforcement of incompatible (DRI) behavior, the teacher reinforces the student for engaging in behavior that is physically incompatible with the target behavior to be decreased or completely eliminated.

For further explanation:
Reinforcement 101- this article provides six primary reinforcement rules as well as the use of differential reinforcement.