15.36 Rule-Governed Behavior Example

But we don’t have to directly experience consequences or contingencies to behave effectively. Much of human behavior is based on rules we learn from others or create ourselves. Psychologists call this rule-governed behavior¹. For example, our good friend Sally might avoid touching a red burner on a stove because someone told her she would get burned if she did. That is, she could have learned and followed a rule about touching red burners.