What is Differential Reinforcement of Low Rates of Responding (DRL) aimed at achieving?

Differential Reinforcement of Low Rates of Responding (DRL) is a behavioral strategy designed to decrease the frequency of a specific behavior while still providing reinforcement for instances of that behavior that occur at a lower rate. The primary goal of DRL is to encourage an individual to engage in the behavior less frequently, but not to completely eliminate it.

In practice, this means that reinforcement is provided only when the behavior occurs below a predetermined limit or threshold. For example, if a student is frequently calling out in class, a DRL approach might involve providing positive reinforcement when the student limits their calling out to a certain number of times during the class period, thereby reducing the overall frequency of that behavior.

This approach enables individuals to learn to regulate their behaviors in a way that is socially acceptable or conducive to their environment, rather than suppressing the behavior entirely. By reinforcing lower rates of the behavior, practitioners can help maintain a more moderate expression of it.