TIME OUT

Time-out is a form of negative punishment that reduces the likelihood of a behavior by temporarily removing the
individual from a reinforcing environment or situation

EXCLUSION TIME OUT

An exclusionary time-out is in place when a person is removed from a reinforcing environment for a pre-specified
period of time. Cooper et al (2007, p.360) list three different methods of implementing an exclusionary time-out and
these are:

 Time-Out Room: timeout within a room created specifically for a time-out.

 Partition Time-Out: timeout behind a partition.

 Hallway Time-Out: student stands outside the classroom.

Example One: Everyone in Hamza’s class has free-time and they are playing with toys of their choice. During this
free-time, Tom punches one of his classmates.

Exclusionary Time-Out: The teacher guides Hamza to a separate partitioned room in the corner of the main
classroom where he cannot see or engage with the rest of the class. He has to remain behind the partition for 2
minutes.

Non-Exclusionary Time-Out

A non-exclusionary time-out is in place when the person is allowed to remain within the reinforcing environment
but is not permitted to engage in any reinforcing activities for a pre-specified period of time; this form of time-out
removes reinforcers from the individual.

Cooper et al (2007, p.358-9) list four different methods for implementing a non-exclusionary time-out and these are:

Time-Out Ribbon: each child wears a ribbon that can be taken off them to implement a time-out.

Planned Ignoring: a time-out where social attention is removed.

Contingent Observation: the child has to sit and watch others engage in reinforcing activities.

Withdrawing a Specific Reinforcer: removing a positive reinforcer (e.g. a toy) from a child for engaging in a
target behaviour.

Non-Exclusionary Time-Out: The teacher guides Saif to the time-out chair within the classroom where he has to sit
and watch as his classmates enjoy free-time. He must sit there for 2 minutes.

Example Two: Saif was enjoying playing with a soccer ball in the playground but then kicks it at another student to
hurt them.

Exclusionary Time-Out: If the teacher told Saif that he had to go into the library detention room for 10 minutes this
would be an exclusionary time-out as he has lost access to the reinforcing environment (playground).

Non-Exclusionary Example: If the teacher took the ball off Basant for 10 minutes but let him remain in the
playground this would be a non-exclusionary time-out as he has lost access to the soccer ball (reinforcer) but
remains within the environment (playground).
Exclusionary vs. Non-Exclusionary Time-out

Exclusionary time-out involves removing the child from the reinforcers or reinforcing environment while non-
exclusionary time-out removes the reinforcers from the child.

Basically, the difference between these two forms of time-out is down to whether the person remains in the
environment the behaviour occurred in but loses access to reinforcers (Brian stays in the playground but loses access
to the soccer ball) or are completely removed from the environment itself (Brian has to leave the playground and go
inside to the detention room).

• Advantages: Effective, easy-to-use, rapidly suppresses behavior, can be combined with other interventions

• Participant removed from time in setting:

• Reduces opportunities for reinforcement, conditions the room to be aversive, reduce the risk of harm to other
students in the time-in setting

• Disadvantages: can leads to resistance and emotional outbursts

TIME-OUT ROOM

• A secure, monitored area that lacks reinforcers and access to them

• Should be located near the normal setting, have minimal furnishings, and no potentially reinforcing items (pictures
on the wall, telephones, breakable objects, windows with access to playgrounds)

TIME OUT

• Should not be locked and continuously monitored by staff

• Involves removing the time-in environment from a participant after a target behavior occurs

ADVANTAGES

• Ease of Application: Time-out, especially nonexclusion, is easy to apply

• Teacher can remove a student from the environment with ease

• Acceptability: Time-out, especially nonexclusion, meets an acceptability standard

• Practitioners regard it as appropriate, fair, and effective

• Rapid Suppression of Behavior: When implemented effectively, time-out suppresses the target behavior in a
moderate to rapid fashion

• Sometimes only a few applications are needed to achieve reduction in undesirable behaviors

• Can Be Combined with Other Procedures: makes it usable in applied settings

• When combined with differential reinforcement, time-out can increase desirable behavior and decrease undesirable
behavior

USING TIME OUT EFFECTIVELY

• Should not be the method of first choice

• Consider nonpunitive methods for reducing behavior (differential reinforcement, extinction)

• Time-out should be used only when less intrusive methods have failed

• Selected behaviors in the time-in environment must be reinforced:

• Use differential reinforcement to teach appropriate behaviors

• Use more reinforcing statements than reprimanding comments

• After time-out, reinforcement for appropriate behavior should be delivered as quickly as possible

THINGS TO CONSIDER

• Are the available reinforcers actually functioning as reinforcers?

• What function does the target behavior serve (attention, escape)?

• Is the time-out setting appropriate, is the contingency delivered immediately?

DEFINE THE BEHAVIOR THAT WILL LEAD TO TIME OUT

• Individual must know the target behaviors that will lead to time-out

• Describe in explicit, observable terms the behavior that will result in time-out

• Give specific examples and non-examples of what is meant by target behavior

DETERMINE THE FORM AND VARIATION OF TIME-OUT

• Check with school board policy or clinical setting

OBTAIN PERMISSION

• Obtain permission from supervisors or administrators before using time out procedures

EXPLAIN THE TIME-OUT PROCEDURE AND RULES

• Post the behaviors that will lead to time-out, post the rules

• helps clarify which behaviors lead to time out

• Rules should specify how long time-out lasts and when it ends:

• Rules determine when time-out starts, when it is over, and what happens if the behavior continues after time-out
ends

DETERMINE THE DURATION OF TIME OUT

• If time-out lasts too long, there is more chance for self-stimulation, making it less effective

• Extended time-out periods take the person away from the learning, therapeutic, or family environment where they
have the opportunity to learn and earn reinforcement

• Use brief time-out periods to prevent ethical concerns associated with time out

• Short time-out periods don't have a big impact on students' academic performance

RESPONSE COST CONSIDERATIONS

• Aggression: May increase verbal and physical aggression

° An individual who loses tokens, especially within a short time, may become aggressive
• Avoidance: The setting or person who administers it can become a conditioned aversive stimulus

• Student may avoid the school, the classroom, or the teacher by being absent or tardy

• Reduce the likelihood by providing positive reinforcement for appropriate behavior

• Attention to undesirable behavior

• Attention may increase the occurrence of future misbehavior

• Ensure that the delivery of reinforcers outweighs the removal of reinforcers

• Unpredictability: Side effects of response cost can be related to different variables:

• The magnitude of the fine

• The punishment and reinforcement history of the individual

• The number of times behaviors are fined

• The availability of alternative responses that are eligible for reinforcement

TREATMENT INTEGRITY

• If plan is not implemented with fidelity, then it is difficult to determine if lack of improvement is due to the
intervention not being implemented correctly, or if the treatment itself was not strong enough

• Two possible threats to treatment integrity:

• Omission Errors: Failure to collect the fine after target behavior occurs

• Commission Errors: Fines are given for behaviors that should not be fined

• Reduce errors by providing:

• Supervisory training

• Practice

• Feedback

• Recurrent instruction to maintain fidelity

• The higher the fidelity of treatment integrity, the more effective the treatment