Negative reinforcement to increase self-feeding

In this episode of the Behaviorist Book Club, host Matt Harrington examines a 2023 research article by Haney and colleagues from the Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis. The study, originating from the Kennedy Krieger Institute, explores how negative reinforcement can enhance self-feeding behaviors in children with feeding disorders.

Through a controlled consecutive case series at the Kennedy Krieger Institute Behavioral Feeding Program between 2017 and 2019, researchers investigated the efficacy of ending meals early as negative reinforcement to increase self-feeding, considering various response efforts. The study's results indicate that escape-maintained self-feeding can remain effective even as response effort increases.

The podcast also highlights the importance of caregiver involvement in feeding therapy and discusses the ethical considerations and challenges of using escape as reinforcement. Matt contrasts skill acquisition with motivation, emphasizing the complexity of behavioral feeding issues and the need for more nuanced treatment approaches beyond negative reinforcement alone.

Show notes, links to article, and transcript are available at https://www.behavioristbookclub.com/blog