Vicarious Reinforcement Procedures: An Analysis of Stimulus Control and Potential Side Effects

Abstract

Vicarious reinforcement refers to a change in responding that is altered by observing another individual's behavior being reinforced (Kazdin, 1973a). Although vicarious reinforcement procedures appear to be an efficient teaching strategy because they involve learning from the behavior of others, previous research has shown varying degrees of vicarious responding. Additionally, previous research has suggested that vicarious responding may be associated with potential side effects (e.g., problem behavior). To date, the variables that influence vicarious responding and potential side effects have received little attention in the behavior analytic literature, which may be one factor that has contributed to the mixed findings. Therefore, the purposes of the current study were to (a) systematically replicate previous research to determine the extent to which stimulus control influenced positive and negative vicarious reinforcement effects (Studies 1 and 2) and (b) assess whether vicarious reinforcement contingencies were aversive for participants whose behavior did not contact direct reinforcement (Study 3). Results from Studies 1 and 2 showed the absence of a vicarious reinforcement effect for 11 of the 12 participants prior to a history of direct, differential reinforcement. Four participants showed vicarious responding following a history of direct, differential reinforcement. For these participants, stimulus control appeared to influence vicarious responding. Results from Study 3 showed idiosyncratic results across 3 participants. For one participant, vicarious positive reinforcement appeared to be aversive; for the second participant, vicarious positive reinforcement did not appear to be aversive. For the third participant, response patterns prevented definitive conclusions regarding whether vicarious positive reinforcement was aversive. Overall results are discussed with respect to the variables responsible for the emergence of vicarious responding and implications for clinical practice.