Which term describes a dependency between events that can be expressed as an if/then relationship?

Which term describes a dependency between events that can be expressed as an if/then relationship?

• A. Contiguity
• B. Contingency
• C. Automatic reinforcement
• D. Positive punisher

Answer: (B)

The idea being tested is contingency—the dependency between events that can be described as if/then. In behavior analysis, a contingency means one event reliably depends on another, so the occurrence of the first changes the likelihood of the second. This is commonly seen in how a behavior is followed by a consequence: the reinforcement or punishment only happens if the behavior occurs, creating an if/then relationship. For example, if a student presses a lever, then a food pellet is delivered; the reinforcement is contingent on that specific behavior. Contiguity, by contrast, is about how close in time two events occur, not about a functional dependency. Automatic reinforcement refers to reinforcement that happens without anyone else’s mediation, and a positive punisher describes a type of consequence that reduces behavior by adding an aversive stimulus, not the dependency itself. So contingency best captures the described relationship.

The idea being tested is contingency—the dependency between events that can be described as if/then. In behavior analysis, a contingency means one event reliably depends on another, so the occurrence of the first changes the likelihood of the second. This is commonly seen in how a behavior is followed by a consequence: the reinforcement or punishment only happens if the behavior occurs, creating an if/then relationship. For example, if a student presses a lever, then a food pellet is delivered; the reinforcement is contingent on that specific behavior. Contiguity, by contrast, is about how close in time two events occur, not about a functional dependency. Automatic reinforcement refers to reinforcement that happens without anyone else’s mediation, and a positive punisher describes a type of consequence that reduces behavior by adding an aversive stimulus, not the dependency itself. So contingency best captures the described relationship.