A positive reinforcement technique where an unlikely behavior is reinforced by pairing it with a common behavior is called

• A. Premacking
• B. Landmarking
• C. Hyperbole
• D. Unsettling

Answer: (A)

Premacking is the idea that a more probable, or preferred, behavior can reinforce a less probable one. When an unlikely behavior is paired with the opportunity to engage in a common activity, performing the less likely behavior earns access to the preferred activity, increasing the likelihood it will occur again. For example, a child might have to finish homework before playing a video game; the game serves as the reinforcement for doing the homework because it’s the desirable activity that follows the target behavior. This is a positive reinforcement approach because it adds a valued consequence contingent on the target behavior. The other options don’t describe this reinforcement pattern: landmarking is unrelated to reinforcing a behavior by pairing it with a preferred activity, hyperbole is a figure of speech, and unsettling is not a recognized behavior-analytic technique.