A note on a precursor of behavioral momentum

Morris and colleagues dug through old lab notes from the 1950s. They wanted to see if Ferster’s early work hinted at what we now call behavioral momentum.

The team read decades-old pigeon data and linked it to Nevin’s later theory. No new experiment was run; this was a history lesson.

Ferster had already shown that steady reinforcement makes responses stick better when conditions worsen. That is the core idea of momentum.

The paper gives you a ready-made citation when you teach clients or parents why strong reinforcement history protects skills.

Ribes-Iñesta (1999) tells a similar origin story, but for Thorndike’s law of effect. Pair the two papers to show students two roots of modern ABA.

Barbash (2021) praises Engelmann’s teaching legacy. Like Morris, it spotlights one pioneer; use both to illustrate basic-versus-applied lineages.

Arntzen et al. (2026) also used adult lab prep, yet looked at equivalence class growth. Together they remind us that simple pigeon or human tests still sharpen our concepts.

Next time you explain why a skill must be over-learned before thinning reinforcement, drop Ferster’s name. Citing the 1950s data shows the idea is old, tested, and trustworthy. It also gives you a quick story that makes behavioral momentum feel less abstract to staff and caregivers.