REINFORCING CAPABILITIES OF TELEVISION DISTORTION

The effectiveness of television distortion as a negative reinforcer was analyzed. Contingency arrangements involving television distortion were found to be capable of (a) accelerating the work rate of a naive, mildly retarded subject on a simulated production‐line task involving card‐sorting, and (b) reducing gross hyperactivity of a mildly retarded subject. An escape‐avoidance contingency was arranged for the production‐line behavior of the first subject and a punishment contingency for the hyperactive behavior of the second subject. Television distortion appears to be an effective and practical negative reinforcer for use in behavior modification. 1969 Society for the Experimental Analysis of Behavior