Setting Event
Also called: contextual variable, distal antecedent
Definition
A condition or event, often removed in time from the behavior, that changes how a person responds to the immediate antecedents and consequences in a situation — a poor night's sleep, illness, a fight on the bus, a change in medication. Many setting events work as motivating operations, and plans often address them by adjusting expectations when they are present.
In plain language
Something earlier in the day, or in the person's life, that makes a behavior more or less likely later. A bad night's sleep can change a whole session.
Example
A learner who missed breakfast is far more likely to protest work all morning.
Not setting event
The instruction given right before a response. That is an immediate antecedent, not a setting event.
See also
Written from
- bijou-peterson-ault-1968
- michael-1993
Written from Bijou, Peterson and Ault (1968) and Michael (1993). No textbook glossary consulted.
This entry has not yet been through clinical review. Treat it as a draft.