What is the purpose of DRI in behavioral interventions?

The purpose of Differential Reinforcement of Incompatible behavior (DRI) is to reinforce a behavior that cannot occur simultaneously with an unwanted behavior. This approach is designed to promote a desirable behavior while effectively reducing or eliminating a less desirable behavior. By focusing on behaviors that are physically incompatible with the unwanted behavior, DRI provides a clear pathway for positive reinforcement and helps individuals to adopt more appropriate behaviors. For example, if a child often engages in yelling when they want attention, reinforcing them for raising their hand instead would be a suitable DRI strategy, as they cannot raise their hand and yell at the same time. As a result, DRI directly targets the replacement behavior while diminishing the occurrence of the unwanted behavior through reinforcement.