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Stimulus control transfer responses are some of the most overlooked and misunderstood concepts in applied behavioral analysis.
It’s defined as an expression used to describe circumstances where a behavior is triggered either by the absence or presence of the stimulus.
In therapy, these actions involve targeting the aforementioned stimulus control and then transferring it to something else more desirable.
But for parents and therapists alike, it’s crucial to understand how this factors into aiding those with autism.
What is Stimulus Control?
Stimulus control describes scenarios where a behavior is triggered by specific stimuli.
For instance, if you eat food while you watch television, then your eating behavior is affected by an outside stimulus, which in this instance is watching TV.
You sit down to watch TV and feel an additional stimulus to eat something.
Stimulus control describes scenarios where a behavior is triggered by specific stimuli.
When it comes to better understanding these relations, it’s paramount to consider antecedents, which are events that come before.
Antecedent stimuli occur before the behavior, so in the above scenario, if you didn’t want to binge-eat, you would want to avoid watching TV.
By focusing on the connection of what happens before and after, you can control behavior, and this is what’s ultimately known as stimulus control.
What Is a Stimulus Control Transfer In ABA Therapy?
ABA is short for “Applied Behavior Analysis”. ABA looks at why we do what we do and finds ways to encourage positive behaviors.
Stimulus control transfer in ABA therapy involves moving an antecedent prompt to something else.
For example, a therapist may want a child with autism to recognize a dog and to say out loud when they see a dog.
To begin, the therapist may begin by telling the child to “say dog.”
The child is then conditioned to say “dog” when prompted “say dog.”
The procedure for stimulus control transfer really just involves swapping out prompts to reinforce a given behavior.
The therapist would then transfer the antecedent to something else. The child may be encouraged to say “dog” upon seeing a picture of a dog and then seeing a dog in real life. The initial prompt of “say dog” is done away with as the subject can now respond to other stimuli.
Stimulus Control Transfer Procedures
The procedure for stimulus control transfer really just involves swapping out prompts to reinforce a given behavior.
It’s not just about transferring but also fading away that initial prompt.
It’s important to be aware of how certain stimuli affect our lives, especially when it comes to aiding others who may have difficulty understanding the antecedent cues.
For example, a child may refer to all women as “mom.” The antecedent is that the person sees a woman and automatically labels them as “mom.”
However, the therapist would want to move this prompt to wear the client only calls their actual mother “mom.”
This requires reinforcing the presence of the actual mom and not saying it to any other woman.
Examples of Stimulus Control
Everyone is subjected to stimulus control in their lives. Some are helpful; others can be harmful. It’s important to be aware of how certain stimuli affect our lives, especially when it comes to aiding others who may have difficulty understanding the antecedent cues.
One example is when people with cars know to come to a complete stop when approaching a red light. They know not to merely stop in the middle of the road when driving. The red light is a stimulus to halt the vehicle.
Another example is how children know that when it’s recess, they can be loud and play. When they enter the classroom, they understand it’s a different context and adjust accordingly, becoming quieter.
One last example is from the world of ABA therapy. Children who require ABA therapy may have trouble understanding such social cues. For example, they may continue being disruptive in a classroom even though recess is over. Stimulus control transfer procedure would involve notifying the child of antecedents that indicate a new behavior is expected of them.
Children with autism may not comprehend environmental variables to indicate a change in behavior. As part of clinical programming, kids will learn how to adapt to certain cues so that they can become more independent.
