The Premack principle, response deprivation, and establishing operations

Abstract

This paper describes response deprivation as an establishing operation. In this context, the authors review the concept of establishing operation, in particular, its reinforcer-establishing and evocative effects; response deprivation is placed in the literature on the reinforcing effects of behavioral activity, wherein response deprivation subsumes the Premack principle; the authors describe the reinforcer-altering and evocative effects of response deprivation; and address a methodological concern about the evocative effect. In closing, some conceptual and empirical implications of the foregoing analyses are discussed.