What term refers to a functional relationship between a behavior and its consequence?

The term that refers to a functional relationship between a behavior and its consequence is reinforcement. In the context of behavior analysis, reinforcement is a fundamental principle that describes how the consequences of a behavior can influence the likelihood of that behavior occurring again in the future. When a certain behavior is followed by a consequence that increases the probability of that behavior being repeated, that consequence is referred to as reinforcement.

For example, if a child receives praise for completing their homework, the praise serves as positive reinforcement, making it more likely that the child will complete their homework again in the future. Understanding this relationship is essential for behavior technicians, as it informs how they can effectively modify behaviors through reinforcement strategies.

The other concepts, such as conditioning, behavioral analyses, and stimulus control, play important roles in behavior analysis but do not specifically encapsulate the direct functional relationship between behavior and its consequences like reinforcement does. Conditioning refers to the process of learning associations between stimuli and responses, behavioral analyses involve the systematic evaluation of behaviors to understand their function, and stimulus control pertains to how specific stimuli can influence the occurrence of behaviors. While these concepts are related to reinforcement and behavioral change, they do not define the specific functional relationship directly.