Three-Term Contingency
Begin by describing the three-term contingency, and explain why it is described as the basic unit of analysis for operant behavior. In reviewing the contingencies of reinforcement and punishment, discuss how each set of contingencies has an effect on an individual's behavior.
Choose a behavior from your own experience that has been reinforced, and identify whether that behavior was positively or negatively reinforced, outlining the specific three term contingency of that operant behavior. Next, choose a behavior from your own experience that has been punished and identify whether that behavior was positively or negatively punished; outline the specific three term contingency of that operant behavior. Finally, in either of those behaviors, discuss how matching law or schedules of reinforcement may contribute to the maintenance of the behavior under certain circumstances.
Operant Behavior
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Operant Behavior
Three-term contingency is an ABC model and involves antecedent, behavior, and consequence. An antecedent is an initial stage of the event which comes before the behavior. It also allows or creates an environment for behavior to occur. Behavior is the action that comes after the antecedent and is an observable and measurable action an individual shows. It is an action that responds to the antecedent (Bouton & Balleine, 2019). The last one is the consequence, which is an aspect that follows the behavior, and it can be either punishing or reinforcing. These events occur as a result of an individual's behavior.
The three-term contingency is essential because it provides an in-depth analysis of behavior and prompts an understanding of an individual's behavior. The relationship between antecedents, behavior, and consequences is examined in this case. Analysts, therefore, can determine why certain behaviors are recurrent or exhibited in specific individuals (Bouton & Balleine, 2019). It is crucial to study the model as it provides an understanding of how antecedents and consequences impact different behaviors.
A behavior that has been negatively reinforced is the action of going to the gym regularly. The antecedent that comes before the behavior is when an individual starts feeling stressed and finds an activity that will help relieve stress. The consequence of engaging ...