Which principle states that behavior is shaped and maintained by its consequences?

Which principle states that behavior is shaped and maintained by its consequences?

• A. Contingency of Reinforcement
• B. Three-Term Contingency
• C. Selection by Consequences
• D. Respondent Conditioning

Answer: (C)

Behavior is shaped and maintained by the consequences that follow it. When a response leads to a reinforcing outcome, its probability increases, and when it leads to punishment or loss of reinforcement, its probability decreases. This ongoing process, where behavior is selected by the consequences it produces, is known as Selection by Consequences. It captures the idea behind operant conditioning: favorable outcomes reinforce the behavior that produced them, making it more likely to occur again, while unfavorable outcomes reduce the likelihood of that behavior. Related ideas describe different parts of the same broader system but don’t name the overarching principle. Contingency of Reinforcement focuses on how reinforcement depends on the behavior. The Three-Term Contingency describes the basic ABC pattern in an operant situation (antecedent, behavior, consequence). Respondent Conditioning refers to learned automatic responses through pairing, not to how consequences shape voluntary behavior.

Behavior is shaped and maintained by the consequences that follow it. When a response leads to a reinforcing outcome, its probability increases, and when it leads to punishment or loss of reinforcement, its probability decreases. This ongoing process, where behavior is selected by the consequences it produces, is known as Selection by Consequences. It captures the idea behind operant conditioning: favorable outcomes reinforce the behavior that produced them, making it more likely to occur again, while unfavorable outcomes reduce the likelihood of that behavior.

Related ideas describe different parts of the same broader system but don’t name the overarching principle. Contingency of Reinforcement focuses on how reinforcement depends on the behavior. The Three-Term Contingency describes the basic ABC pattern in an operant situation (antecedent, behavior, consequence). Respondent Conditioning refers to learned automatic responses through pairing, not to how consequences shape voluntary behavior.