In a multiple schedule, what is the phenomenon called when changing one component produces opposite changes in the other, unaltered component?

• A. Behavioral contrast
• B. Stimulus generalization
• C. Response competition
• D. Schedule interference

Answer: (A)

Behavioral contrast is the phenomenon at play when changing reinforcement in one component of a multiple schedule produces opposite changes in the responding in the other, unaltered component. In a multiple schedule, two components are linked to distinct stimuli, and the organism’s behavior tends to redistribute across these components as reinforcement conditions change. If reinforcement becomes more frequent or higher in one component, the other component’s response rate often drops (negative behavioral contrast). Conversely, if reinforcement in the first component becomes less frequent, responding in the second component can rise (positive behavioral contrast). This cross-component, opposite-direction effect is why the term behavioral contrast fits best. Other terms describe different phenomena: stimulus generalization involves responding to similar stimuli rather than shifts between components; response competition refers to competing responses within a single schedule; schedule interference describes disruptions from conflicting contingencies, not the opposite shifts across components.