reinforcement contingency

the contingency (relationship) between a response and a reinforcer. The contingency may be positive (if the occurrence of the reinforcer is more probable after the response) or negative (if it is less probable after the response). Reinforcement contingencies can be arranged by establishing dependencies between a particular type of response and a reinforcer (as when a rat’s lever presses are followed by presentation of food), or they can occur as natural consequences of a response (as when a door opens when pushed) or by accident (see accidental reinforcement). Also called response–reinforcement contingency.

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Psychology term of the day

December 18th 2024

interrogatories

pl. n. formal written questions prepared for an official pretrial questioning of an individual who possesses information relevant to a case or used in the judicial examination of an individual or party.