Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 1, 2026

Pavlovian Conditioned Approach Training in Rats
Published on: February 4, 2016
The ABCs of incentive-based treatment in health care: a behavior analytic framework to inform research and practice
Steven E Meredith1, Brantley P Jarvis2, Bethany R Raiff3
1Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA.
Abstract:
Behavior plays an important role in health promotion. Exercise, smoking cessation, medication adherence, and other healthy behavior can help prevent, or even treat, some diseases. Consequently, interventions that promote healthy behavior have become increasingly common in health care settings. Many of these interventions award incentives contingent upon preventive health-related behavior. Incentive-based interventions vary considerably along several dimensions, including who is targeted in the intervention, which behavior is targeted, and what type of incentive is used. More research on the quantitative and qualitative features of many of these variables is still needed to inform treatment. However, extensive literature on basic and applied behavior analytic research is currently available to help guide the study and practice of incentive-based treatment in health care. In this integrated review, we discuss how behavior analytic research and theory can help treatment providers design and implement incentive-based interventions that promote healthy behavior.
Related Concept Videos
Behavior Modification
A real-world application of operant conditioning principles is applied...
Operant Conditioning Intervention
In operant conditioning, behaviors that are...
Behaviorism
The core premise of behaviorism is its focus on observable behavior rather than internal thoughts or feelings. This approach argues that true scientific...
Incentive Theory: Pull Theory of Motivation
The theory differentiates between...
Timing and Consequences on Behavior
Humans, however, can respond to delayed reinforcers. We often make decisions between immediate small rewards and delayed larger rewards. This ability to delay gratification is a significant...
Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy

