An evocative effect refers to which of the following?

• A. A Decrease in the Current Frequency of Behavior That Has Been Associated with a Particular Consequence.
• B. A Change in Reinforcement Value Without Changing Behavior.
• C. An Increase in the Current Frequency of Behavior That Has Been Associated with a Particular Consequence.
• D. A Change in Stimulus Control That Generalizes Across Contexts.

Answer: (C)

An evocative effect occurs when a consequence that has previously reinforced a behavior makes that behavior more likely to occur again in the future. The history of that consequence strengthens the association between the behavior and its outcome, so the behavior increases in frequency whenever that consequence is possible or presented. For example, if saying “please” has consistently earned praise, you’ll see more instances of saying “please” in similar situations because the praise event evokes the behavior. This differs from simply changing how valuable the reinforcement is without changing the behavior, or from decreasing the behavior, or from changes in stimulus control that generalize across contexts. The key idea is that the consequence reinforces the behavior and thus raises its likelihood in the future.