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Related Concept Videos

Primary and Secondary Reinforcers01:23

Primary and Secondary Reinforcers

In psychology, reinforcement is a key concept in behavior modification. B.F. Skinner demonstrated this with his experiments involving rats in what is known as a Skinner box. The rats learned to press a lever to receive food, a primary reinforcer that fulfilled their innate need for nourishment.
Effective reinforcers for humans vary depending on the individual and the context. Primary reinforcers, such as food, water, sleep, shelter, and pleasure, have inherent value and satisfy basic biological...
Reinforcement Schedules01:24

Reinforcement Schedules

Positive reinforcement is a powerful method for teaching new behaviors to both animals and humans. B.F. Skinner demonstrated this with his experiments using rats in a Skinner box. When a rat pressed a lever, it received a food pellet. This immediate reward encouraged the rat to repeat the behavior. This method, where a reward follows every instance of the behavior, is known as continuous reinforcement. It is highly effective for establishing new behaviors quickly.
Once a behavior is learned,...
Reinforcement01:23

Reinforcement

Positive and negative reinforcement are key concepts in operant conditioning, a learning process where the consequences of a behavior affect the likelihood of that behavior being repeated.
Positive reinforcement occurs when a behavior is followed by the presentation of a rewarding stimulus, increasing the frequency of that behavior. For example:
Punishment01:27

Punishment

Negative reinforcement and punishment are often confused but serve distinct functions in behavior modification. Reinforcement, whether positive or negative, increases the likelihood of a desired behavior, while punishment decreases it.
Punishment can be positive or negative. Positive punishment involves adding an undesirable stimulus, such as scolding, to decrease a behavior. Negative punishment involves removing a desirable stimulus, such as taking away a favorite toy, to decrease behavior.
Operant Conditioning01:21

Operant Conditioning

Operant conditioning, a key concept in behavioral psychology, involves using reinforcement and punishment to alter the likelihood of a behavior being repeated. B.F. introduced this type of conditioning. Skinner focused on voluntary behaviors and the consequences that follow them, influencing whether these behaviors will be strengthened or diminished.
Reinforcement in operant conditioning can be positive or negative, both of which serve to increase the likelihood of a behavior. Positive...
Operant Conditioning Intervention01:24

Operant Conditioning Intervention

Operant conditioning serves as a foundational principle in therapeutic interventions aimed at modifying maladaptive behaviors. Central to this approach is the notion that behaviors, both adaptive and maladaptive, are learned through reinforcement. By analyzing the environmental factors that reinforce problematic behaviors, clinicians can design interventions to weaken these reinforcements and replace maladaptive behaviors with healthier alternatives.
In operant conditioning, behaviors that are...

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Related Experiment Video

Updated: May 15, 2026

Modeling Verbal Behavior Deficits with the Stimulus Control Ratio Equation, SCoRE
06:57

Modeling Verbal Behavior Deficits with the Stimulus Control Ratio Equation, SCoRE

Published on: May 14, 2019

Teaching self-control with qualitatively different reinforcers.

Michael Passage1, Matt Tincani, Donald A Hantula

  • 1Temple University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19122, USA. tincani@temple.edu

Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis
|January 17, 2013
PubMed
Summary

This study shows that self-control training, using different rewards, effectively increased task duration for an adolescent with an intellectual disability. The training involved gradually increasing delays to preferred rewards.

Keywords:
delay discountingintellectual disabilityself-control training

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Last Updated: May 15, 2026

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Area of Science:

  • Behavioral Psychology
  • Developmental Psychology
  • Disability Studies

Background:

  • Intellectual disability can impact self-control and task persistence.
  • Effective interventions are needed to improve self-management skills in adolescents with intellectual disabilities.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To evaluate the efficacy of qualitatively different reinforcers in teaching self-control.
  • To assess the impact of a structured self-control training program on task engagement.

Main Methods:

  • A single-subject design was employed with an adolescent diagnosed with an intellectual disability.
  • The study involved three phases: no reinforcement, a two-choice fixed-duration schedule, and incremental delay self-control training.
  • Reinforcers were qualitatively different, with increasing delays to preferred options.

Main Results:

  • Self-control training significantly increased the time the adolescent spent on task.
  • The incremental delay manipulation was key to improving self-control.

Conclusions:

  • Qualitatively different reinforcers and incremental delay self-control training are effective.
  • This approach can enhance task persistence in adolescents with intellectual disabilities.