Premack Principle

My favorite principle I came upon during this semester was the Premack Principle.  The idea that you save the most enjoyable tasks for last.  This principle stuck out to me the most because it's one of my own personal golden rules and I was unaware that it had its own name.  Whenever I'm doing something whether it be a list of jobs that I need to get done or I'm eating a dinner meal, I always save the best for last.  Whatever part of the food I like best, I wait until the very end to eat that piece. I'm not exactly sure why I do this, I guess to reward myself in some ways.  Maybe that's why desert is last, not because it's the sweetest & least healthy but because its a reward for eating your veggies at dinner.

When you think about the way Americans exist, we tend to do most things based off the Premack Principle.  Desert after dinner, homework before tv, we treat the dog after they sit.  You could call the treating of the dog after it sits positive reinforcement but the dog is still completing the less desirable task before it gets its food which is more desirable.  I just found it very interesting that their is a principle that explains the way that I personally go about life.



http://www.intropsych.com/ch05_conditioning/premack_principle.html