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Related Concept Videos

Reinforcement Schedules01:24

Reinforcement Schedules

701
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,...
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Timing and Consequences on Behavior01:08

Timing and Consequences on Behavior

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In operant conditioning, the timing of reinforcement is crucial. For animals like rats and cats, immediate reinforcement (within a few seconds) is much more effective than delayed reinforcement. For example, a food reward for a rat needs to follow within 30 seconds of pressing a bar to be effective. 
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...
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Reinforcement01:23

Reinforcement

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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:
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Primary and Secondary Reinforcers01:23

Primary and Secondary Reinforcers

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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...
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Operant Conditioning01:21

Operant Conditioning

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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...
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Law of Effect01:06

Law of Effect

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B.F. Skinner, a prominent figure in behavioral psychology, introduced operant conditioning by emphasizing the role of consequences in shaping behavior. This theory builds upon the law of effect proposed by Edward Thorndike, which posits that behaviors followed by satisfying outcomes are likely to be repeated. In contrast, those followed by unsatisfying outcomes are less likely to recur.
Edward Thorndike's foundational work involved studying learning in animals, particularly using puzzle...
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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Apr 7, 2026

A Procedure to Study Stress-Induced Relapse of Heroin Seeking after Punishment-Imposed Abstinence
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Reinforcement Schedule Effects on Long-Term Behavior Change.

Joy Chudzynski1, John M Roll2, Sterling McPherson3

  • 1UCLA Integrated Substance Abuse Programs, Behavioral Pharmacology Unit, Los Angeles, CA, USA.

The Psychological Record
|July 4, 2015
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Contingency management (CM) with varying reinforcement schedules effectively increased abstinence and attendance for methamphetamine dependence. Different CM schedules showed similar efficacy, suggesting flexible reinforcement delivery is possible.

Keywords:
clinical trialcontingency managementmethamphetamine use disorderspsychostimulantssubstance use disorder treatment

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Area of Science:

  • Psychiatry and Behavioral Science
  • Addiction Medicine
  • Clinical Psychology

Background:

  • Methamphetamine dependence is a significant public health issue requiring effective treatment strategies.
  • Contingency management (CM) is an evidence-based behavioral intervention that utilizes reinforcement to promote treatment adherence and abstinence.
  • Optimizing CM delivery schedules is crucial for maximizing treatment efficacy and resource allocation.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To compare the effectiveness of different contingency management (CM) schedules, combined with psychosocial treatment, on methamphetamine abstinence and attendance rates.
  • To evaluate if varying the frequency of reinforcement delivery in CM impacts treatment outcomes.
  • To compare CM interventions against psychosocial treatment alone.

Main Methods:

  • A randomized controlled trial was conducted with individuals dependent on methamphetamine.
  • Participants were assigned to one of three CM schedules or a psychosocial treatment-only group.
  • CM schedules were designed to equalize total potential reinforcer magnitude while varying reinforcement delivery frequency.

Main Results:

  • All three contingency management (CM) schedules resulted in significantly higher rates of abstinent attendance compared to psychosocial treatment alone.
  • No significant differences in efficacy were observed among the three distinct CM schedules.
  • The frequency of reinforcement delivery did not appear to influence the overall effectiveness of CM.

Conclusions:

  • Contingency management (CM) is an effective strategy for improving abstinence and attendance in methamphetamine use disorder treatment.
  • Treatment providers can potentially reduce the frequency of reinforcer delivery in CM interventions without compromising efficacy.
  • These findings support the flexible implementation of CM for psychostimulant use disorders.