Premack's principle

" Premack's Principle (Premack, 1959, 1963) states that more probable behaviors will reinforce less probable behaviors. Premack's Principle was derived from a study of Cebus monkeys, but has explanatory and predictive power when applied to humans. This is evidenced by the fact that therapists use the principle in behavior modification. In pedestrian terms Premack's Principle suggests that if a student wants to perform a given activity, the student will perform a less desirable activity to get at the more desirable activity. In behaviorist terms, activities become reinforcers. Students will be more motivated to perform a particular activity if they know that they will be able to partake of a more desirable activity as a consequence. If high probability behaviors (more desirable behaviors) are made contingent upon lower probability behaviors (less desirable behaviors), then the lower probability behaviors are more likely to occur. More desirable behaviors are those students spend more time doing if permitted; less desirable behaviors are those students spend less time doing when free to act.

This psychological principle can be used effectively in certain controllable situations to dramatically affect the behaviors of students.

In behavioural terms Premack's principle states that any high-frequency activity can be used as a reinforcer for any lower-frequency activity. This common statement made by most mothers easily show us how Premack's Principle is used "You have to finish your VEGETABLES (Low Frequency) before you can eat any ICECREAM (High Frequency)" "(Wenning, C., no page).

References

Wenning, C. Elements of Animal Learning: Applicable to Human Learning?http://www.phy.ilstu.edu/pte/311content/effective/animalhuman.html

http://www.pubmedcentral.nih.gov/articlerender.fcgi?artid=1310854

The term "behavior change" has replaced the term "behavior modification" because in operant conditioning, one does not modify behavior but instead one modifies the environment (antecedents and consequences) that then results in behavior change.