Which term describes an adjustment in which a person's repertoire is developed so that reinforcers are maximized and punishers minimized?

• A. HABITUATION
• B. GROUP CONTINGENCY
• C. HABILITATION
• D. FBA

Answer: (C)

This describes habilitation. Habilitation is the process of developing a person’s repertoire so they can obtain more reinforcement and rely less on punishers by expanding and refining adaptive skills. When a person’s skills are broadened to access positive outcomes more reliably, the need for aversive or punishing contingencies decreases.

Habituation would involve becoming less responsive to a repeated stimulus, not building new skills to maximize reinforcement. A functional behavior assessment identifies the function of a behavior to guide treatment, and a group contingency applies consequences at the group level rather than focusing on expanding an individual’s skill set.