Jake is a recovering alcoholic. He has not had a drink of alcohol in over 6 months. One of the strategies that Jake has used to remain abstinent has been to stay away from bars, avoid parties at which alcohol is served, and even find new friends who do not drink alcohol. Jake is overcoming the short-term reinforcement he associated with alcohol use by using:
A) reinforcement delay.
B) negative reinforcement.
C) motivational commitment.
D) stimulus control.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Jake is using stimulus control, which involves modifying his environment to reduce the presence of stimuli that trigger the desire to drink. By avoiding places and situations associated with drinking, Jake is reducing the likelihood that he will engage in alcohol use. This is a common strategy used in addiction treatment to help individuals maintain abstinence. The other choices, reinforcement delay, negative reinforcement, and motivational commitment, are not applicable to Jake's situation in the same way as stimulus control.

Jake Is a Recovering Alcoholic