Masters Thesis

The Effects of Response Deprivation on Employee Performance in an Analogue Work Setting

The response deprivation model includes depriving behaviors below baseline levels and then providing access to the behaviors contingent on the completion of a different behavior. With the response deprivation model, supervisors can use any behavior that is already occurring, particularly lowprobability behaviors, as a reinforcer for any other behavior. This is particularly important for organizations because it decreases the need for other, more costly reinforcers, such as tangible or monetary reinforcers. Within the field of Organizational Behavior Management (OBM) there have been few studies conducted utilizing response deprivation within a work environment. Those studies that have been conducted evaluated the effects of restricting highprobability behaviors; however, a majority of the behaviors in a work environment are low-probability behaviors. As such, the current study examined the effects of restricting access to high- and low-probability behaviors and making access to those behaviors contingent on performing a different high- or low-probability behavior in an analogue work setting. Results of the study showed that both high- and low-probability behaviors could act as reinforcers when restricted below baseline levels. Performance on tasks increased above minimum performance requirements when a response deprivation contingency was applied and participants often performed more than was necessary after requirements had been met.

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