When an individual’s access to reinforcement is mediated or controlled by other people.

The phenomenon that behavior is modified by consequences, even if a person is unaware of the contingency.

Reinforcement that occurs without the social mediation of others and is mediated by the self or environmental (internal or external) variables.

It’s not wrong to associate sterotypic behaviors with automatic reinforcement— but there are other factors to consider. PTB co-founder Dana Meller offers a quick explainer to clear up the confusion. Refer to BCBA® Task List (5th ed.) Section B-7: Define and provide examples of automatic and socially mediated contingencies.

A stimulus change that comes after a behavior.