Chaining creates intervention associations between behaviors in a behavior chain.
Chaining is a behavioral intervention and instructional strategy that breaks a complex, multi step task down into a sequence of smaller, linked behaviors.
In a behavior chain, the completion of each individual step serves both as a reinforcer for that action and as a signal (discriminative stimulus) to move on to the next step
A behavior chain is a sequence of behaviors that happen in a particular order where the outcome of the previous step in the chain serves as a signal to begin the next step in the chain.
A behavior chain is begun with a discriminative stimulus (S-δ) which sets the occasion for a behavior.
The outcome of that behavior serves as a reinforcer for completing the previous step and as another discriminative stimulus to complete the next step.
This sequence repeats itself until the last step in the chain is completed and a terminal reinforcer, which is the outcome of a behavior chain, is achieved: example, the chain in brushing one’s teeth starts with seeing the toothbrush, this sets the occasion to get toothpaste, which then leads to putting it on one’s brush, brushing the sides and front of mouth, spitting out the toothpaste, rinsing one’s mouth, and finally putting away one’s toothbrush.
Chaining is used to teach complex behaviors that the current learner does not have in their repertoire.
There are three different types of chaining: forward chaining, backward chaining, and total task chaining.
Forward chaining is a procedure where a behavior chain is learned and completed by teaching the steps in chronological order using prompting and fading.
The first step presents a distinctive stimulus to the learner.
The teacher then prompts them through the remaining steps in the chain.
Once the learner is consistently completing the first step without prompting, the next step is completed prompting the learner through the remaining steps and so on until the learner is able to complete the entire chain independently.
Reinforcement is delivered for completion of the step, although they do not attain the terminal reinforcer or outcome of the behavior chain until they are prompted through the remaining steps.
Backward chaining is the same process as forward chaining but starts with the last step.
Backward chaining is typically used for people with limited abilities, this process uses prompting and fading techniques to teach the last step first.
The biggest benefit of using a backward chain is that the learner receives the outcome of the behavior chain naturally.
Backward chaining is the preferred method when teaching skills to individuals with severe delays because they complete the last step and see the direct outcome of the chain immediately rather than having to be prompted through the remaining steps to receive reinforcement.
Chaining is a behavioral technique where a complex task is broken into small steps, and each step cues the next.
- Morning routine: alarm, get up, brush teeth, shower, dress, breakfast. Finishing one step triggers the next.
- Brushing teeth: pick up the brush, apply paste, brush each quadrant, rinse, put it away.
- Making coffee or cooking: recipes are essentially chains.
- Driving: mirrors, seatbelt, start the car, signal, check blind spot, merge.
- Habit stacking: attaching a new habit to an existing one (“after I pour my coffee, I take my vitamins”).
- Teaching skills: parents and therapists teach kids to tie shoes, wash hands, or dress by training one step at a time.
It’s widely used in special education, occupational therapy, and autism support, and in training animals.