ABSTRACT
This chapter describes the differences between rule-governed and contingency-shaped behavior. It also describes five conditions that affect the likelihood of rule-following behavior. The chapter then details eight conditions that summarize effective versus ineffective goal setting. Treatment packages that focus on the manipulation of antecedent stimuli—also called antecedents—fall into the categories of rules, goals, modeling, physical guidance, situational inducement, and motivation. In behavioral terminology, a rule is a verbal stimulus that describes a situation in which a particular behavior will lead to a particular consequence. A goal is a level of performance or outcome that an individual or group attempts to achieve. Goal setting is the process of making goals for oneself or one or more other people. From a behavioral perspective, a goal is a rule that acts as a motivation to achieve some specific desired objective. Contingency-shaped behavior involves immediate consequences and is typically strengthened gradually through "trial and error".
