ABSTRACT
This chapter explains conditioned reinforcement makes possible to develop long chains of responses. Such as: lever press reinforced by sound of feeder operating; when the sound of feeder occurs, approach to food tray is reinforced by food. In two-response behavioral chain the sound of the feeder is a conditioned reinforcer because it has been paired with food. The function of conditioned reinforcement in a chain schedule can also be seen by a comparison involving a tandem schedule, which is identical to a chain schedule except that it has no stimuli correlated with its components. Forward chaining would involve first reinforcing the animal for stepping on the treadle. Sequences of behavior that are performed repetitively with little variation, called stereotyped sequences, are examples of behavioral chains. They are undesirable when they interfere with normal social behavior, as in cases of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) and excessively repetitive movements by individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD).
