Premack Principle
Also called: grandma's law, first-then
Definition
The finding that access to a more probable behavior can reinforce a less probable one. Instead of asking what item a person likes, it asks what the person does a lot when free to choose, and makes that activity contingent on the target. "First work, then play" is its everyday form.
In plain language
Something a person does a lot can be used as a reward for something they do less. First the work, then the fun thing.
Example
A learner who spends free time drawing earns drawing time by finishing a page of reading.
Not premack principle
Giving several easy instructions before a hard one to build compliance. That is a high-probability request sequence, which is about momentum rather than a reward.
Commonly confused with
See also
Written from
- premack-1959
Written from Premack (1959). No textbook glossary consulted.
This entry has not yet been through clinical review. Treat it as a draft.