![]() ![]() ![]() This is a principle of operant conditioning originally identified by David Premack in 1965. In one procedure, eating was the reinforcing response, and playing pinball served as the instrumental response that is, the children had to play pinball in order to eat candy Premack Principle Example In the second phase of the experiment, the children were tested with one of two procedures. Some of the children preferred one activity, some the other. Premack gave the children two response alternatives, eating candy or playing a pinball machine, and determined which of these behaviors was more probable for each child. One of the earliest studies was conducted with young children. An example is a mother who says “You have to finish your vegetables (low frequency) before you can eat any ice cream (high frequency)” Experimental Evidenceĭavid Premack and his colleagues, and others, have conducted a number of experiments to test the effectiveness of the Premack principle in humans. Just as “reward” was commonly used to alter behavior long before “reinforcement” was studied experimentally, the Premack principle has long been informally understood and used in a wide variety of circumstances. More desirable behaviors are those that individuals spend more time doing if permitted less desirable behaviors are those that individuals spend less time doing when free to act. Stated objectively, if high-probability behaviors (more desirable behaviors) are made contingent upon lower-probability behaviors (less desirable behaviors), then the lower-probability behaviors are more likely to occur. An individual will be more motivated to perform a particular activity if he knows that he will partake in a more desirable activity as a consequence. Premack’s Principle suggests that if a person wants to perform a given activity, the person will perform a less desirable activity to get at the more desirable activity that is, activities may themselves be reinforcers. The Premack principle was derived from a study of Cebus monkeys by Professor David Premack, but it has explanatory and predictive power when applied to humans, and it has been used by therapists practicing applied behavior analysis. ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |