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rule-governed behavior

any behavior that is influenced by verbal antecedents, such as following instructions (as when children clean their rooms because they are told to do so) or reacting to one’s own private thinking (as when an adult begins an exercise program after thinking “I need to lose weight”). The term does not refer to behavior that can be described by a rule. For example, rats’ behavior that adopts a win–stay, lose–shift strategy cannot be described as rule-governed. Also called verbally governed behavior. Compare contingency-governed behavior.

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Psychology term of the day

November 22nd 2024

sociological social psychology

sociological social psychology

see social psychology.