Plaud J J, Gaither G A, Lawrence J B
Department of Psychology, University of North Dakota, Grand Forks 58202-8380, USA.
J Behav Ther Exp Psychiatry. 1997 Sep;28(3):169-79. doi: 10.1016/s0005-7916(97)00007-4.
Behavioral momentum, which can be defined as the persistence of behavior under altered environmental contingencies, is derived from Newtonian physics and operant psychology, and has relevance to behavior therapy in terms of shaping strong behaviors and ensuring effective relapse prevention strategies. The present study investigated whether changing operant schedule contingencies affects how humans respond to different stimuli when reinforcement density is systematically manipulated. Fifteen subjects participated in a computer study, in which each of two keys in a baseline condition was associated with the same schedule of reinforcement, multiple variable interval schedules, the only difference being that one reinforcer was ten times larger than the other. After six sessions, the contingency schedule changed to either an extinction condition, a variable time schedule, or a changed variable interval schedule to assess how 'subjects' responses persisted when reinforcement contingencies were systematically changed. Results of this study were found to be consistent with the general predictions of behavioral momentum. Subjects not only biased responding in favor of the more densely reinforcing key, but when contingencies changed, subjects showed continued biased responding. Implications for behavioral momentum for behavior modification and behavior therapy are discussed, and it is concluded that behavioral momentum has significant implications for designing new and comprehensive behavior change programs.
行为动量可以定义为行为在改变的环境条件下的持续性，它源自牛顿物理学和操作性心理学，并且在塑造强大行为以及确保有效的复发预防策略方面与行为疗法相关。本研究调查了在系统操纵强化密度时，改变操作性程序条件是否会影响人类对不同刺激的反应。15名受试者参与了一项计算机研究，在基线条件下，两个按键中的每一个都与相同的强化程序相关联，即多个可变间隔程序，唯一的区别是一种强化物比另一种大十倍。经过六次实验后，程序条件改变为消退条件、可变时间程序或改变后的可变间隔程序，以评估当强化条件被系统改变时“受试者”的反应如何持续。研究结果被发现与行为动量的一般预测一致。受试者不仅偏向于对强化更密集的按键做出反应，而且当条件改变时，受试者仍表现出持续的偏向反应。讨论了行为动量对行为矫正和行为疗法的影响，并得出结论，行为动量对设计新的全面行为改变计划具有重要意义。
