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Self-inhibiting effects of reinforcement
Journal of the Experimental Analysis of Behavior
|May 1, 1973
Summary
Reinforcers from one behavior can decrease the rate of other behaviors, even when all behaviors are rewarded similarly. This finding impacts understanding reinforcement and behavior modification strategies.
Area of Science:
- Behavioral Psychology
- Animal Behavior
- Reinforcement Theory
Background:
- Concurrent schedules of reinforcement are common in natural environments.
- Understanding how different reinforcers interact is crucial for behavior analysis.
- Previous models did not fully account for inhibitory effects between reinforcers.
Purpose of the Study:
- To analyze the logical and empirical implications of reinforcer-induced inhibition.
- To develop a quantitative model of response rate under concurrent reinforcement.
- To investigate the interplay between excitatory and inhibitory effects of reinforcers.
Main Methods:
- Theoretical analysis of reinforcement principles.
- Mathematical formulation of response rate.
- Comparison with existing models, such as Herrnstein's (1970).
Main Results:
- A single reinforcer can inhibit concurrently reinforced responses.
- This inhibitory effect occurs even when reinforcers are from the same response class.
- Response rate is a joint function of excitatory and inhibitory reinforcement effects.
Conclusions:
- Reinforcer-induced inhibition is a fundamental aspect of concurrent reinforcement.
- The proposed quantitative model aligns with empirical observations.
- This framework offers a more comprehensive understanding of behavioral regulation.
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