ABA glossary
Time-out from positive reinforcement
Also called time-out
Definition
Time-out from positive reinforcement: a brief, planned loss of access to reinforcement for a set time, contingent on a behavior. It is a negative punishment procedure and can be nonexclusionary (the person stays in the setting) or exclusionary (the person leaves the area).
In plain words
Time-out takes away the chance to earn or enjoy reinforcement for a short period after a problem behavior. In nonexclusionary time-out, the person stays put but reinforcement stops, for example through planned ignoring, removing a specific item, or contingent observation at the edge of an activity. In exclusionary time-out, the person leaves the area for a short time. Time-out only works if the activity the person is removed from (time-in) is rich in reinforcement; otherwise it may function as a break.
Example from a session
After Theo hits a peer during a board game, the plan calls for 2 minutes of contingent observation: the RBT moves Theo's chair a few feet from the table, where he can watch but not play. The RBT keeps him in view, does not lecture, and returns him to the game when the 2 minutes are up and he is calm, per the release criterion. She records the hit, the time-out, and the release time.
For BCBA candidates and supervisors
Analysts use the least restrictive form likely to work, keep durations brief (longer time-outs do not reliably add effectiveness), define release criteria that do not reward problem behavior during time-out, and follow legal and agency rules, especially for exclusionary time-out. Time-out is contraindicated for escape-maintained behavior, because removal from the activity can negatively reinforce the behavior. Analysts monitor data to confirm the procedure is reducing behavior, and ensure time-in is reinforcing.
Often confused with response cost, extinction
Time-out removes access to reinforcement for a period; response cost removes a specific amount of reinforcer. Extinction withholds only the reinforcer that maintained the behavior, while the person stays in the activity. Planned ignoring can be used as either: extinction when attention maintains the behavior, or nonexclusionary time-out when all social reinforcement is briefly withdrawn.
Exam tip
Check the function before choosing time-out. If the behavior is maintained by escape, time-out is the wrong answer because it gives the person what they want. Look for "time-in is rich in reinforcement" as a condition for time-out to work.
Can you spot time-out from positive reinforcement in a scenario?
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