Related Experiment Videos
Reinforcement and substitution in humans: a multiple-response analysis.
Journal of the Experimental Analysis of Behavior
|November 1, 1978
Summary
Behavioral economics study shows that making preferred activities contingent on less-preferred ones significantly increases engagement in the latter. This effect is not solely due to time reduction but also selective activity increases.
Area of Science:
- Behavioral psychology
- Human-computer interaction
- Activity-based research
Background:
- Human engagement in daily activities is crucial for well-being.
- Understanding the motivational factors influencing activity choice is essential.
- Previous research explored reinforcement principles in human behavior.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate how activity-based contingencies affect human engagement.
- To determine the role of instrumental and contingent responding in activity selection.
- To analyze the impact of time restrictions on activity participation.
Main Methods:
- Three adult subjects lived in a lab apartment for several weeks.
- Activities like reading, sewing, artwork, and candlemaking were monitored.
- Contingency paradigms were implemented, linking less-preferred activities to access to preferred ones.
Main Results:
- Contingencies substantially increased engagement in less-preferred (instrumental) activities.
- Removing contingencies returned responding to baseline levels.
- Activity increases were selective; some activities increased more than others under restricted conditions.
Conclusions:
- Contingency-based interventions effectively increase engagement in targeted activities.
- Reductions in preferred activity time do not solely explain instrumental increases.
- Selective increases in certain activities can contribute to the overall rise in instrumental responding.