Contingency management

Contingency management is a form of operant conditioning in which a defined reaction ( reinforcement ) takes place on previously defined behavior . Operant conditioning techniques are primarily used in children with behavioral problems, autism, or psychotic states . For example, a child might receive a certain reward ("chocolate") for a certain behavior ("washing up"). Behavior and reaction can be recorded in a contingency contract.

The token system can be seen as an extension of contingency management, in which a reward is not given immediately.

Non-contingency

A special form is the removal of the contingency between behavior and reaction. For example, in the event of self-damaging behavior, the therapeutic contacts could be based on schedules, regardless of the patient's current state of mind. This prevents a conditioning of negative feelings or self-harm and contact with therapists. If the coping strategies improve , the time intervals can be increased. However, the procedure should be precisely coordinated with the patient.

See also

• Operant conditioning

literature

• H.-U. Wittchen, J. Hoyer (Ed.): Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy. 2nd Edition. Springer, Heidelberg 2006.
• Jürgen Margraf: Behavioral Therapy: 2: Disorders of Adulthood . Springer-Verlag, 2013, ISBN 978-3-662-10774-4 , pp. 43 ( limited preview in Google Book search).