Unexamined Potential Effects of the Noncontingent Delivery of Reinforcers

Noncontingent reinforcement (NCR) is a therapeutic arrangement in which the reinforcer hypothesized to maintain a problem behavior, or another preferred stimulus, is delivered on a response-independent, time-based schedule. Several investigations have determined that this form of intervention is effective in decreasing problem behavior maintained by both positive and negative reinforcement. However, it seems possible that this sort of intervention may have unknown side effects under certain arrangements. Some of these (e.g., the potential for adventitious reinforcement) have been documented, but others have not been directly examined. This paper discusses some of these less considered or unconsidered possible effects, some of which may be detrimental. Specific effects include the relation between contingency and stimulus value, behavioral and hedonic contrast, behavioral momentum and the discriminative functions of reinforcers. We further discuss the conditions under which these effects may or may not occur, and address their implications for future research on NCR.