What does DRO stand for and when is it used?

• A. Differential Reinforcement of Occurrence; reinforcement is delivered after the target behavior occurs.
• B. Differential Reinforcement of Other Behavior; reinforcement is delivered when any behavior other than the target occurs.
• C. Differential Reinforcement of Omission; reinforcement is given for not engaging in the target behavior.
• D. Differential Reinforcement of Other Behavior; reinforcement is delivered when the target behavior has not occurred for a set interval.

Answer: (D)

DRO involves giving reinforcement for the absence of the target behavior over a defined period. In practice, you set a time interval; if the target behavior does not occur during that interval, you deliver reinforcement at the end of it. If the target behavior happens, the interval resets. This approach shifts behavior by rewarding any moment when the problematic behavior is not shown, encouraging more frequent absence over time. For example, if a student calls out, you might reward them only if there’s no calling out for the next 30 seconds; the timer restarts if the calling out occurs. This is different from reinforcing a specific alternative behavior or reinforcing the target after it occurs. The key idea is reinforcement is contingent on the absence of the target behavior for a set interval.