ABSTRACT
Reinforcement procedures are a critical component of any educational program. Oftentimes the same reinforcers are used to increase responding for multiple skills, which may erroneously indicate to the learner that these skills go together. However, different reinforcers may be restricted to the specific skill being taught, referred to as differential outcomes. The differential outcomes procedure may result in a faster rate of acquisition and increased accuracy, relative to traditional teaching arrangements; this is known as the differential outcomes effect. With careful planning, reinforcers can also become part of an equivalence class and are then directly related to the items being taught. A brief overview of the differential outcomes literature is provided, followed by guidance for when to utilize the differential outcomes procedure. The chapter concludes with suggested implementation steps to put differential outcomes into practice.
