Using Rapidly Alternating Multiple Schedules to Assess and Treat Aberrant Behavior in Natural Settings

Abstract

The validity of using rapidly alternating multiple schedules (RAMS) as a method for assessing and treating aggression and disruptive behavior was demonstrated by using the naturally occurring reinforcers identified in the RAMS to develop treatments that were experimentally tested. The RAMS consists of a series of 2-minute components in which a naturally occurring consequence is applied contingent on the target”s behavior, alternated with components in which the consequence is not applied, with no break between components. The aggressive and disruptive behaviors of four 2- to 11-year-old children were analyzed and treated in school and home settings. The RAMS analyses yielded clear results about the reinforcing function of naturally occurring consequences in all cases, and the treatments using the reinforcers identified in the RAMS were all effective. The possible uses of the RAMS as an efficient, ecologically and experimentally valid tool for clinical assessment are discussed.