Pre-task requests (behavioural momentum)
Presenting a series of easy, highly preferred requests immediately before presenting a difficult or non-preferred request.
Pre-task requests, often called behavioural momentum, involve asking the learner to do three or four things they easily and willingly do before hitting them with the hard task. You build up a pattern of compliance and reinforcement.
You use this when a learner reliably refuses or tries to escape specific, difficult instructions. If you know asking them to write a sentence will cause a problem, you first ask them to give you a high-five, touch their nose, and hand you a pencil - praising heavily for each. By the time you ask them to write the sentence, they are already in the habit of responding and accessing reinforcement.
Practitioners often make the mistake of pausing too long between the easy requests and the hard request. The momentum dissipates if you wait. The requests must be delivered in rapid succession. Another common error is using 'easy' tasks that aren't actually easy or preferred by the learner. If they hesitate on the first request, the momentum is lost before it begins.
Implementation
- Identify 3-4 tasks the learner can perform easily and reliably.
- Deliver the easy requests in rapid succession, providing enthusiastic praise for each completion.
- Immediately deliver the target (difficult) request without pausing.
- Provide highly preferred reinforcement when the target request is completed.
- Vary the easy requests to prevent them from becoming predictable and boring.
Common Mistakes
- Pausing between the easy requests and the target request.
- Choosing initial requests that are too difficult or lack a history of compliance.
- Failing to provide high-quality reinforcement for the final target request.