Glossary
Reward alternative behavior
What does it mean to reward alternative behavior?
Rewarding alternative behavior means giving a reward for an action that can replace an unwanted one.
How it works
A teacher might praise a child for raising their hand and waiting to speak instead of interrupting. The child has something to do, rather than only something to stop doing.
The alternative does not have to make the unwanted behavior physically impossible. Raising a hand, for example, does not prevent someone from interrupting at the same time. That distinguishes this technique from rewarding incompatible behavior.
Why it matters
A useful alternative gives the person another way to act. Check whether they use it more often and whether the unwanted behavior decreases; offering a reward alone does not establish either result.
The BCT Taxonomy lists this as technique 14.8.