B22: Identify ways behavioral momentum can be used to understand response persistence.

Behavioral Momentum

A principle that suggests behaviors are more likely to continue when they have been reinforced consistently.

Response Persistence

The tendency for a behavior to continue over time despite changes in circumstances.

High-Persistence Behaviors

Behaviors that are likely to continue even when reinforcement is removed.

Low-Persistence Behaviors

Behaviors that are quickly extinguished in the absence of reinforcement.

Momentum in Learning

The idea that a series of easy tasks can create a successful pattern leading to persistence in harder tasks.

Reinforcement History

The record of past reinforcements that influences the likelihood of a behavior persisting.

Task Difficulty and Momentum

Increasing task difficulty after easy tasks can maintain momentum and enhance response persistence.

Transitioning Between Tasks

Using easy tasks to build momentum before moving on to more difficult ones.

Impact of Reinforcement Schedules

Different schedules can affect how long a behavior persists when reinforcement is removed (e.g., variable ratio schedules tend to increase persistence).

Behavioral Strategies for Persistence

Techniques such as chaining or prompting that utilize behavioral momentum to maintain responses.