You are working with a client who finds physical touch to be aversive. When the person is off task, the program calls for you to give a warning by counting to 10; at that point, you gently touch him if he is not back on task. The touch remains until he returns to task. Please note that being touched is aversive for this particular individual. If the person gets back on task during counting, this is an example of:

Question

You are working with a client who finds physical touch to be aversive.  When the person is off task, the program calls for you to give a warning by counting to 10; at that point, you gently touch him if he is not back on task.  The touch remains until he returns to task.  Please note that being touched is aversive for this particular individual.  If the person gets back on task during counting, this is an example of:

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Avoidance. The individual is avoiding the aversive touch by getting back on task before the counting is complete. This can be considered negative reinforcement, as the removal of the possibility of touch is reinforcing the behavior of getting back on task. However, since the person is actively avoiding the touch rather than simply escaping from it once it occurs, avoidance is the more accurate term.

You Are Working with a Client Who Finds Physical Touch