Terry wants his young daughter, Lauren, to help him with the housework, so he tells her that she can play on his computer as soon as she finishes doing the dinner dishes and putting away the clean laundry. Terry is using a more preferred activity to reinforce a less preferred activity. According to the In Focus box "Changing the Behavior of Others," this behavioral strategy is called:

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Terry is using the Premack principle by offering a more preferred activity (playing on his computer) as a reinforcement for a less preferred activity (doing the dinner dishes and putting away laundry). The Premack principle is a commonly used strategy in behavior modification, where a higher frequency behavior is used to reinforce a lower frequency behavior.

Terry Wants His Young Daughter, Lauren, to Help Him with the Housework