General CEU: BEHP1168: A Critical Look at the Concept of Reinforcement

BEHP1168: A Critical Look at the Concept of Reinforcement becomes clinically important the moment a team has to turn good intentions into reliable action inside case conceptualization, intervention design, staff training, and literature-informed problem solving. In BEHP1168: A Critical Look at the Concept of Reinforcement, for this course, the practical stakes show up in stronger conceptual consistency and better translational decision making, not in abstract discussion alone.

Provider: ABA Technologies / Florida Tech

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Course Description

Takes a critical look at the concept of reinforcement beginning with Thorndike's Law of Effect. Evaluates standard definitions of reinforcement, including where they came from, notes commonalities, and then suggests an alternative definition that corrects for some problems with the standard definitions. Implications for processes named reinforcement that are not consistent with any definition of reinforcement (e.g., NCR, DRO) and for behavior analysts' verbal behavior about reinforcement are examined.

What You'll Learn

1. Evaluate standard definitions of reinforcement and identify commonalities and limitations across historical formulations.
2. Compare Thorndike's Law of Effect with contemporary definitions of reinforcement used in behavior analysis.
3. Analyze why procedures such as NCR and DRO may be inconsistent with formal definitions of reinforcement.

CEU Credits Earned

Certification Body	Credits	Type
BACB	2.5	General