Contingency Contracting

Definition

A contingency contract is a positive intervention that specifies the behavioral, social, or academic expectations to be completed in order to access reinforcement. A contract is typically developed by the practitioner providing treatment in collaboration with the client or stakeholders. A clear definition of the task(s), to be completed by the client(s), is outlined, a criterion is established, and a reinforcer is identified. The contract will also monitor individual or group progress after obtaining the baseline level of performance. The implementation of these contracts can target one or more behaviors that are client or group specific. An example of a contingency contract is a token economy system which specifies the target behavior to increase, tokens to be delivered, and the reinforcer as secondary for exhibiting the target behavior and also specifies a variety of highly preferred reinforcers to earn in exchange for the tokens. Contingency contracts are widely used...