Imagine you're a newly minted BCBA, excited about your latest intervention plan. Your supervisor starts with praise: “You accurately identified the function of behavior based on the data you collected, and your graphing was precise and easy to interpret!” Relief and pride flood in—but then comes the shift: “…but your plan didn’t include enough preventative strategies.” Just like that, the compliment fades, and you’re left focused on what you missed. This experience is familiar to many, and while supervisors often have the best intentions, this type of feedback can feel more discouraging than supportive.
Behavior analysis provides insight into why this happens. When positive reinforcement (like praise) is consistently paired with something aversive (like critique), the praise itself can begin to signal that something negative is on the way. Over time, the praise transforms into a conditioned aversive stimulus—a signal that cues the person to brace for criticism rather than fully hearing and appreciating the positive. This pairing can ultimately turn the praise into a conditioned punisher for critical behaviors, like engaging in open discussions, seeking feedback, or taking initiative, as individuals may start to avoid situations where they anticipate receiving feedback at all. Dr. Aubrey Daniels calls this effect the “great eraser” because the intended reinforcement from the praise is essentially erased by the critique that follows, leaving individuals focused solely on the negative.
In an ideal feedback scenario, constructive feedback works best as a pre-correction—a guiding prompt provided just before the analyst performs, helping them incorporate feedback in real time. This sets the analyst up for success and allows you to reinforce their performance as they apply the feedback, which helps establish naturally occurring reinforcement for their improvements. However, if you must give both positive and constructive feedback together, a plusses and deltas approach can keep it constructive and reinforcing.
Here’s how to structure it:
Behavior-Specific Praise (Plusses): Begin by reinforcing specific actions aligned with the desired performance. For instance, “You accurately identified the behavior’s function using clear ABC data, and your graphing allowed us to see trends easily.” Letting praise stand alone strengthens the behavior you want to see more of without turning the compliment into an aversive stimulus.
Frame Constructive Feedback as a Prompt (Deltas): When a skill gap needs addressing, provide feedback as a factual, open-ended observation. For example, “I noticed there weren’t many preventative strategies listed in your plan.” Then, engage with questions that prompt reflection, like, “What options did you consider for preventing the behavior, and what led you to emphasize reactive strategies in this case?” This allows the analyst to reflect and avoids an immediate prescriptive critique.
Encourage Skill-Building with Exploratory Prompts: If there’s room for skill-building, keep the feedback exploratory rather than directive. For example, “I wonder what impact we might see if preventative strategies were introduced earlier in similar cases?” This invites the analyst to explore ideas and make their own connections, promoting autonomy and growth.
By using pre-correction as the ideal method, you set feedback up as a supportive guide just before the person performs, which positions you to positively reinforce immediately. As they integrate the feedback into their performance, naturally occurring reinforcement from improved outcomes takes over, supporting their growth without apprehension.
In summary, feedback that separates praise from critique builds trust and reinforces behavior effectively. By setting people up with pre-corrections before performance and using plusses and deltas when immediate feedback is needed, we promote a feedback culture that encourages analysts to engage openly, try new approaches confidently, and refine their skills continuously. When feedback genuinely supports learning, the result is an environment that values growth over perfection, with naturally reinforcing outcomes for everyone involved.
Comments