Board Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA) Practice Test

Non-contingent reinforcement is classified as an antecedent intervention because it involves providing reinforcement regardless of the individual's behavior, thereby altering the environment prior to the occurrence of the behavior. This approach is designed to reduce the motivation for the behavior by ensuring that the reinforcer is available non-contingently, meaning that it is delivered without any specific request or action from the individual. By addressing the antecedent conditions that may lead to problematic behavior, non-contingent reinforcement can effectively reduce the frequency of that behavior by satisfying the individual's needs before they engage in the behavior that typically leads to reinforcement. In contrast, consequent interventions focus on altering the consequences of behavior after it occurs, which is not the focus of non-contingent reinforcement. While behavior modification and reinforcement scheduling can relate to techniques used in managing behavior, non-contingent reinforcement specifically targets the antecedent factors that set the stage for behavior, making it distinctively classified as an antecedent intervention.