A metaphor to describe a rate of responding and its resistance to change following an alteration in reinforcement conditions is called what?

• A. Baseline
• B. Baseline Logic
• C. Behavioral Momentum
• D. Behavior Trap

Answer: (C)

Behavioral momentum describes how the rate of a response persists and resists change when reinforcement conditions are altered. It uses a physics-like metaphor: momentum equals mass times velocity. Here, velocity is the response rate, and mass represents the strength of the reinforcement history for that behavior—the more reinforcement accumulated for it (a heavier mass), the more resistant the rate is to drop when reinforcement conditions change. So, after a disruption—like reducing reinforcement—behavior with greater reinforcement history tends to keep occurring at a higher rate for longer than behavior with little reinforcement history. This explains why some behaviors stubbornly continue despite changes in reinforcement, while others fade quickly. The other concepts don’t capture this specific idea of persistence and resistance to change driven by reinforcement history, which is why this option best fits.