TY - JOUR
T1 - Dynamic changes in reinforcer effectiveness
T2 - Theoretical, methodological, and practical implications for applied research
AU - Murphy, Eric S.
AU - McSweeney, Frances K.
AU - Smith, Richard G.
AU - McComas, Jennifer J.
PY - 2003
Y1 - 2003
N2 - Reinforcers lose their effectiveness when they are presented repeatedly. Traditionally, this loss of effectiveness has been labeled satiation. However, recent evidence suggests that habituation provides a more accurate and useful description. The characteristics of behavior undergoing satiation differ for different stimuli (e.g., food, water), and these characteristics have not been identified for the noningestive reinforcers often used by applied behavior analysts (e.g., praise, attention). As a result, the term satiation provides little guidance for either maintaining or reducing the effectiveness of reinforcers. In contrast, the characteristics of behavior undergoing habituation are well known and are relatively general across species and stimuli. These characteristics provide specific and novel guidance about how to maintain or reduce the effectiveness of a reinforcer. In addition, habituation may lead to a better understanding of several puzzling phenomena in the conditioning literature (e.g., extinction, behavioral contrast), and it may provide a more precise and accurate description of the dynamics of many different types of behavior.
AB - Reinforcers lose their effectiveness when they are presented repeatedly. Traditionally, this loss of effectiveness has been labeled satiation. However, recent evidence suggests that habituation provides a more accurate and useful description. The characteristics of behavior undergoing satiation differ for different stimuli (e.g., food, water), and these characteristics have not been identified for the noningestive reinforcers often used by applied behavior analysts (e.g., praise, attention). As a result, the term satiation provides little guidance for either maintaining or reducing the effectiveness of reinforcers. In contrast, the characteristics of behavior undergoing habituation are well known and are relatively general across species and stimuli. These characteristics provide specific and novel guidance about how to maintain or reduce the effectiveness of a reinforcer. In addition, habituation may lead to a better understanding of several puzzling phenomena in the conditioning literature (e.g., extinction, behavioral contrast), and it may provide a more precise and accurate description of the dynamics of many different types of behavior.
KW - Applied research
KW - Establishing operations
KW - Reinforcement
KW - Satiation
KW - Terminology
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U2 - 10.1901/jaba.2003.36-421
DO - 10.1901/jaba.2003.36-421
M3 - Review article
C2 - 14768663
AN - SCOPUS:2342503269
SN - 0021-8855
VL - 36
SP - 421
EP - 438
JO - Journal of applied behavior analysis
JF - Journal of applied behavior analysis
IS - 4
ER -