2003/03/01 by Henry S. Roane, Wayne W. Fisher, Erin M. McDonough +1 · 3 citations
Medicine · Neuroscience · Psychology · #Artificial intelligence #Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder #Autism Spectrum Disorder Research #Behavioral and Psychological Studies #Cognitive psychology #Computer science #Contingency #Contingency management #Contrast (vision) #Epistemology #Psychiatry #Psychology #Punishment (psychology) #Social psychology #Task (project management)
paper · pdf · doi:10.1901/jaba.2003.36-35
openalex publication_date 2003/03/01 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/08/05
Scientific research progresses along planned (programmatic research) and unplanned (discovery research) paths. In the current investigation, we attempted to conduct a single-case evaluation of the overjustification effect (i.e., programmatic research). Results of the initial analysis were contrary to the overjustification hypothesis in that removal of the reward contingency produced an increase in responding. Based on this unexpected finding, we conducted subsequent analyses to further evaluate the mechanisms underlying these results (i.e., discovery research). Results of the additional analyses suggested that the reward contingency functioned as punishment (because the participant preferred the task to the rewards) and that withdrawal of the contingency produced punishment contrast.