The Premack principle also known as Premack's Law or the "Grandma's Law," is a principle in psychology that describes the relationship between high-probability and low-probability activities in a person's behavior. It was proposed by the American psychologist David Premack in 1965.
In simple terms, Premack's Law states that a more preferred or enjoyable activity can be used to reinforce or encourage a less preferred or less enjoyable activity. In other words, if someone wants to engage in a specific behavior (the high-probability activity), they can be motivated to perform a less desirable behavior (the low-probability activity) by linking the two activities together.
For example, a parent might encourage a child to complete their homework (the less preferred activity) by offering them the opportunity to play video games (the more preferred activity) afterward. By allowing the preferred activity as a reward for the less preferred one, the less preferred behavior becomes more likely to occur.
The Premack principle is a fundamental concept in behaviorism and operant conditioning and is often used in education, parenting, and behavior modification to motivate individuals to engage in activities they might not find inherently enjoyable.
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