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Published on: February 6, 2014
Dynamic changes in reinforcer effectiveness: satiation and habituation have different implications for theory and
1Department of Psychology, Washington State University, Pullman, Washington, USA. fkmcsC@awsu.edu
The Behavior Analyst
|April 6, 2012
Summary
Repeatedly presented reinforcers lose effectiveness, a phenomenon better explained by habituation than satiation. Habituation offers new strategies for managing reinforcer strength and understanding behavior regulation.
Area of Science:
- Behavioral science
- Psychology
- Neuroscience
Background:
- Repeated exposure to reinforcers diminishes their effectiveness.
- Early research termed this "satiation" without rigorous experimental analysis.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review evidence for habituation to repeated reinforcers.
- To differentiate habituation from satiation in behavior analysis.
- To explore implications of habituation for theory and practice.
Main Methods:
- Review of existing data on reinforcer effectiveness.
- Conceptual analysis comparing habituation and satiation models.
Main Results:
- Habituation provides a more precise explanation for decreased reinforcer effectiveness.
- Habituation suggests distinct methods for maintaining or weakening reinforcer strength.
- Habituation may offer a unified explanation for various behavior-terminating processes.
Conclusions:
- Habituation, not satiation, is the empirically accurate term for reduced reinforcer effectiveness.
- Adopting a habituation framework can refine behavior analysis strategies.
- Habituation may explain diverse phenomena like fatigue, waning attention, and drug effects.
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