11/25/2025
This Tuesday, weāre taking a break from technical terms to talk about Gratitude. So I guess we could call itā¦ ? š
This Tuesday, weāre shifting from jargon to something universally beneficial: gratitude. Or as weāre calling itā¦ š
As ABA practitioners, we understand that behavior is shaped and maintained by its consequences. Reinforcementāwhether itās access to preferred items, praise, social attention, or other stimuliāincreases the future likelihood of behavior.
While we often talk about reinforcement in the context of client programs, itās important to remember that gratitude functions as a powerful social reinforcer in our everyday interactions. When we acknowledge othersā helpful, kind, or prosocial behaviors, we increase the probability that those behaviors will occur again. In other words, expressing gratitude is a naturalistic way to shape and strengthen the behaviors we value in our relationships.
But gratitude doesnāt just impact othersā behaviorāthereās also a behavioral explanation for how it influences our own. Engaging in a daily gratitude practice can serve as self-management: a behavior we intentionally emit that produces positive internal and environmental consequences. These positive consequences (e.g., increased feelings of well-being, improved sleep, enhanced social connectedness, and elevated mood) can then reinforce the continuation of the gratitude practice itself. Over time, the behavior of noticing and verbalizing gratitude becomes more frequent, creating a beneficial response cycle.
So on this , consider what stimuli in your environment are evoking your gratitudeāand how acknowledging them can set the occasion for more positivity in your own behavior and in the people around you.
What are you grateful for this week?
