Behavioral Momentum

Description of the Strategy

Behavioral momentum is a strategy used to increase compliance to requests, and it is also referred to as high-probability (high-p) intervention or treatment, or pretask request. To implement behavioral momentum, a series of requests that have a history or high probability of compliance is issued just prior to a request with a low probability of compliance. For example, students might be asked to complete three easy tasks: touch their nose, state their name, and sit down. After completing these tasks, they are requested to do something that has been difficult for them to complete, such as “review your vocabulary words.”

To use this strategy, first a pool of high-probability tasks is created. A task is considered to be high probability if students complete it on request at least 80% of the time they are given the opportunity. Three to five of the high-probability tasks are presented, one after the other. Then a target task with a low probability of compliance is issued. Low-probability tasks are those associated with low rates of compliance, such as 50% or less.

The theory underlying the effectiveness of behavioral momentum is that the series of high-probability requests sets up “momentum” for compliance. This momentum continues when the task is presented that previously had a low probability of compliance. Reinforcement is thought to play a role by setting up a situation in which the student will receive a high rate of reinforcement for compliance with the high-p requests before a task is presented that may not have been regularly associated with reinforcement in the past. Hence, reinforcement must be provided for each instance of compliant behavior.

Research Basis

A great deal of research supports the merit of behavioral momentum for improving compliance across many different types of tasks and expectations. Within the social arena, this procedure has been used with students with emotional and behavioral disorders, to increase their social initiations toward peers. The frequency of manual signing by students with developmental disabilities has also been increased with this approach. Behavioral momentum also has been applied effectively for academic activities, such as math problem completion and transition to academic activities, with students with learning disabilities, emotional and behavioral disorders, and those without disabilities. With older individuals, the procedure has been extended successfully to household chores.

Research also has shown that children, even those who are very young, can be taught to implement this procedure with their peers in a brief period of time. Training usually involves a description of the procedures, followed by observation, then practice. This saves the teacher time and is well suited for improving peer-to-peer interactions.

An added advantage of behavioral momentum is the potential for collateral effects on occurrences of problem behaviors. Behavioral momentum has been shown to decrease stereotypic behavior that serves the purpose of avoiding the low-probability task, as well as self-injurious behavior.

One caveat is that the procedure may be less effective with requests stated in a “don't” form. For example, the low-probability request “Don't color” may have little effect on compliance. Thus, requests stated so that they instruct an individual what to do, rather than what not to do, have a better chance of success.

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