Tim is laying his workout clothes out on the floor the night before he is to wake up and workout in the morning. This is an example of which behavioral strategy?
A punishment
B Premack principle
C stimulus control
D latency
E reinforcement control
The correct answer and explanation is:
The correct answer is C. stimulus control.
Stimulus control refers to the use of environmental cues or stimuli to encourage a specific behavior. In Tim’s case, laying out his workout clothes the night before serves as a stimulus that prompts the behavior of waking up and working out the next morning. By visually seeing the clothes, Tim is reminded of his intention to exercise, and this environmental setup helps him overcome any barriers or temptations that might otherwise prevent him from working out. This technique leverages external cues to make the desired behavior more likely to occur.
Stimulus control works by creating an environment that encourages the target behavior and reduces the chances of engaging in competing behaviors. In Tim’s example, the sight of the workout clothes serves as a reminder, nudging him to act in alignment with his goal. It’s a great way to establish routines, particularly when trying to adopt new habits like regular exercise.
Other options:
- A. Punishment: This would involve adding something unpleasant or removing something enjoyable to decrease a behavior. In Tim’s case, laying out the clothes is not meant to reduce any behavior, but to encourage one.
- B. Premack principle: This principle involves using a more preferred activity to reinforce a less preferred one. For example, Tim could reward himself with a treat after completing his workout, but laying out clothes the night before does not follow this pattern.
- D. Latency: Latency refers to the time delay between a stimulus and the response, which doesn’t directly apply to Tim’s situation.
- E. Reinforcement control: While reinforcement does play a role in behavior change, reinforcement is about rewarding a behavior, not about setting up cues for that behavior, which is the essence of stimulus control.