Running head: The Effects of Using Caffeine as a Negative Reinforcer 1

The Effects of Using Caffeine as a Negative Reinforcer to Increase Devotional Frequency

Dustin Wagner

University of Jamestown
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Abstract

The individual who partook in this study was a nineteen year old college student with a very high

dependence on caffeine, particularly from coffee. The objective of this study was to see if the

consequence of removing caffeine for not conducting a quiet time in the morning would be an

adequate incentive to increase the practice of this behavior. The student was told that if they

missed a morning quiet time, they would be withheld coffee for the duration of the day. This

form of negative reinforcement proved to be highly effective in promoting the behavior as the

student’s quiet time frequency dramatically increased.

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Introduction

The main objective of this experiment was to increase the frequency of the student practicing a

morning quiet time. This quiet time could include any combination of prayer, meditation, and/or

scripture and devotional reading. This behavior had to be practiced first thing in the morning to

begin the day. The student felt that these quiet times were integral to their religious beliefs and

faith, and therefore they wanted to maximize their occurrence. In this experiment, the student

was told that they could only drink coffee on the days they conducted a morning quiet time,

otherwise the caffeine would be withheld. This form of operant conditioning is defined as

negative reinforcement. In negative reinforcement, a undesired outcome or aversive stimulus is

escaped or avoided by practicing a behavior, therefore increasing the likelihood of that behavior

occurring in the future. In this study, the undesired outcome of withholding caffeine could only

be avoided by taking part in a quiet time every morning. Due to the high caffeine dependency of

the test subject and the known effectiveness of operant conditioning, the hypothesis is that quiet

time frequency will increase substantially.

Methods

Our participant in this study was a nineteen year old male Caucasian college student. This

individual possessed a high caffeine dependence from many years of habitual coffee

consumption. To begin our study, a one week baseline analysis was conducted to record the

student’s quiet time frequency. During this baseline recording the student tracked in a notebook

whether they had performed a morning quiet time each day. There were no extenuating

circumstances during this phase to provide for an accurate comparison to the treatment. After the
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baseline results were recorded, the one week treatment phase was enacted. During treatment, the

student was only allowed to consume coffee after successfully completing a quiet time first thing

in the morning. If the student failed in performing a quiet time, the coffee would be withheld for

the duration of that day. Each day the student recorded in a notebook whether they had fulfilled

their quiet time requirement until the conclusion of the treatment phase.

Results

Overall, the implementation of negative reinforcement proved to be highly effective in

increasing quiet time frequency in the participant. There was a dramatic increase in frequency as

the student improved from no quiet times during the baseline recording to a consistent morning

quiet time every day during treatment.

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Discussion

Overall this behavioral technique proved to be highly effective. The consequence of

withholding coffee was a functional motivator for the participant. The student’s dependency on

caffeine in conjunction with the implementation of the treatment program was effective in

yielding desirable results. In conclusion, the use of caffeine as a negative reinforcer was highly

effective in increasing quiet time frequency in the participant.

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References

Kirkeby B. (2018). Reinforcement [PowerPoint Slides]. Retrieved from University of Jamestown

PSYC 215.

https://my.uj.edu/ICS/Portlets/ICS/Handoutportlet/viewhandler.ashx?handout_id=1a113aeb-

0b3d-4f79-96b0-17fca58f3c5c