Behavioral Contracting

Description of the Strategy

A hallmark of the earliest forms of behavioral research and therapy was the rapid and repeated manipulation of potent stimuli in experimental or clinical settings. Indeed, early learning research conducted by Pavlov, Watson, Cover Jones, and others showed that the repeated pairing of evolutionarily significant events such as intense auditory stimuli or food (e.g., unconditioned stimuli) with previously neutral events (conditioned stimuli) under certain conditions (e.g., deprivation) could have a powerful effect on learning, including the acquisition and extinction of fear responses. As Skinner began to formulate his own brand of behaviorism, a new term, contingency, was introduced. Although initially the term described relations between antecedents, behaviors, and their consequences, it became apparent that the verbal specification of relations between behaviors had special importance. The theoretical significance of verbalizing contingency relations was partly responsible for Skinner's writing an important text about the phenomenon (Verbal Behavior). However, the practical significance of verbalizing contingency relations has arguably been even more powerful.

For present purposes, behavioral contracting will refer to written descriptions of contingency relations (defined here as antecedents, behaviors, and consequences) that are intended to modify or influence behavior. Antecedents (also known as discriminative stimuli or cues) are defined as events that precede a behavior that, when specified as part of a contingency contract, indicate that a given behavior should be performed. Behaviors are actions specified in the contingency relation. If successful, the contingency contract will alter some characteristic of the behavior, given the onset of the conditions specified in the contract. Behaviors should be defined in such a way that their occurrence can be unambiguously inferred and agreed upon by well-informed persons. Consequences are events that should reliably follow the performance of the behavior. Often, the performance of the behavior will signal the delivery of both immediate consequences and progress toward long-term, larger rewards.

In fact, any “contract” can be analyzed in terms of the conditions requiring the performance of the behavior, a description of the behavior to be performed, and a specification of outcomes that will follow. Problems that arise in the performance (or failure to perform) behavior specified in a contract can frequently be traced to flaws in one of these areas (e.g., antecedents, behaviors, or consequences). As in our lay understanding of the term, behavioral contracts imply the existence of a contractor and a contractee. By and large, the terms used to describe behavioral contracting—contingency contracting, token economy, or school-home note—refer to the many possible variations of contractor and contractee relations and the degree of formal attention given to details of the contracting process.

The following elements seem to be consistent features of well-formulated behavioral contracts. These elements are described from the perspective of a practitioner seeking to develop an intervention for a prospective client. First, both parties should clarify the anticipated outcomes of the contract. To accomplish this end, the target behaviors should be specified in readily observable terms. Second, rewards for achievement and sanctions for failure to accomplish goals (if applicable) should be clearly specified. Third, the performance of the target behaviors must be monitored frequently, and consequences should be delivered consistent with the terms specified in the contract. Finally, terms of renegotiation and procedures for doing so should be clearly delineated in the contract. Most important, behavioral contracting is a formal process that requires the collaboration of two parties and the production of a written contract and formal monitoring processes. Informal agreements or promises made in passing do not constitute instances of behavioral contracting. Thus, whether an agreement between a parent and child would meet the formal definition of contracting described here would depend upon the extent to which these elements noted above are present.

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