Definition
Differential reinforcement of other behaviors (DRO) is a reinforcement procedure in which reinforcement is delivered for any response other than a specific target behavior. This procedure results in a decrease in that specific target behavior because that behavior is never followed by reinforcement; thus, it weakens in future rate. For example, if a child with autism displays self-stimulatory behavior in the form of waving both hands in front of his face, a DRO procedure would be to provide a positive reinforcement for a 10-s period during which his hands were not waving in front of his face. Other names for this procedure include differential reinforcement of zero occurrences or omission training.
Historical Background
When considering interventions for undesirable behaviors, interventionists initially found punishment procedures to be effective. Although such procedures as overcorrection, time-out, and response cost do indeed reduce unwanted behavior, there are often...
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References and Reading
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Zane, T., Davis, C. (2020). Differential Reinforcement Procedures of Other Behavior (DRO). In: Volkmar, F. (eds) Encyclopedia of Autism Spectrum Disorders. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-6435-8_1903-3
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-6435-8_1903-3
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