Question: What comes first in a high-p request sequence?

Answer: A series of requests that a client historically complies with, or the target directive.

In a high-probability request sequences or “high-p” request sequence, the instructor first delivers a series of requests that a client historically complies with. After the client successfully follows through with those directives, the instructor then presents the less probable directives, also known as the target directives, which are hoping to evoke the target behavior. By presenting those likely-to-be-followed directives first, we’re cashing in on abolishing operations. Meaning, there’s an abative effect on non-compliance which will hopefully decrease because there is so much reinforcement for compliance, which occurs during those high-probability sequences. It’s like once you get a taste of reinforcement, you continue to do whatever it takes to get more of it. In this case, compliance is what results in reinforcement, while non-compliance hopefully does not.

The process itself includes selecting two to five short tasks or directives that typically result in compliant responding. That’s why they’re called “high probability”. Immediately after that, the instructor presents a low probability directive. That’s going to evoke the tougher directives that historically, are not likely to be complied with. This is an incredibly useful antecedent intervention for non-compliance. You might have also heard the term “behavior momentum” associated with this; that’s because they’re essentially synonymous.

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