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. 1993 Jul;60(1):105–128. doi: 10.1901/jeab.1993.60-105

Behavior systems and reinforcement: an integrative approach.

W Timberlake 1
PMCID: PMC1322149  PMID: 8354963

Abstract

Most traditional conceptions of reinforcement are based on a simple causal model in which responding is strengthened by the presentation of a reinforcer. I argue that reinforcement is better viewed as the outcome of constraint of a functioning causal system comprised of multiple interrelated causal sequences, complex linkages between causes and effects, and a set of initial conditions. Using a simplified system conception of the reinforcement situation, I review the similarities and drawbacks of traditional reinforcement models and analyze the recent contributions of cognitive, regulatory, and ecological approaches. Finally, I show how the concept of behavior systems can begin to incorporate both traditional and recent conceptions of reinforcement in an integrative approach.

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Selected References

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