What Is the Premack Principle in ABA Therapy?
The Premack Principle states that a behavior a person is more likely to do can reinforce a behavior they are less likely to do. In plain terms: if you make a preferred activity contingent on a less-preferred activity, the less-preferred activity becomes more likely to happen. “Finish your homework, and then you can play video games” is the Premack Principle in action. Playing video games (the high-probability behavior) reinforces finishing homework (the low-probability behavior). The principle is so intuitive that it’s often called “Grandma’s Rule,” after the familiar parenting strategy of “eat your vegetables before dessert.”
The principle was introduced by psychologist David Premack in 1959, based on research with Cebus monkeys. Premack’s insight changed how behavior analysts think about reinforcement. Earlier views described reinforcement as access to a stimulus (a treat, a toy) following a behavior. Premack showed that reinforcement could also be access to engaging in a behavior, and that whether a behavior reinforces another depends on the relative probabilities of the two behaviors. According to a 2022 review of the Premack Principle published on PubMed at the National Institutes of Health, the principle demonstrates “reinforcer relativity,” the idea that the relative probabilities of responses can matter more than absolute preference when arranging reinforcement.
This relativity is what makes the Premack Principle distinctive. A behavior isn’t inherently reinforcing or not. Whether one behavior reinforces another depends on how their probabilities compare. For a child who would rather color than do math, coloring can reinforce math. For a child who would rather do math than color, the reverse is true. The behavior analyst identifies what the learner is more likely to do (often by observing what they choose when free to do anything) and uses access to that preferred behavior to reinforce a less-preferred one.
The Premack Principle is the foundation of the widely used “first-then” strategy in ABA and special education. “First work, then break.” “First brush teeth, then story.” “First clean up, then outside.” These first-then arrangements structure the day so that lower-probability but necessary activities are followed by higher-probability preferred activities, increasing the likelihood that the necessary activities get done. Behavior technicians and therapists use first-then arrangements throughout daily sessions, and families use them at home across everyday routines.
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Examples of the Premack Principle in ABA Therapy
Example 1: First-then for academic work
A behavior technician is working with a six-year-old client who resists handwriting practice but loves playing with magnetic tiles. The behavior analyst sets up a first-then arrangement using the Premack Principle: “First write three letters, then magnetic tiles.” The technician presents this clearly, often with a visual first-then board showing the writing task and the tiles. When the learner completes the handwriting, they get a few minutes with the tiles. Over time, the learner’s resistance to handwriting decreases because the activity reliably leads to a preferred one. This is a form of positive reinforcement where the reinforcer is access to a preferred activity rather than a tangible item.
Example 2: Premack arrangements for daily routines
A behavior analyst coaches a family on using the Premack Principle at home for a seven-year-old client who resists bath time. The family observes what the learner is most likely to do when given free choice in the evening: watch a favorite show. The behavior analyst helps them set up a first-then routine: “First bath, then show.” The parents present the contingency calmly and consistently, and the show happens only after the bath. The learner’s cooperation with bath time improves over a few weeks. The high-probability behavior (watching the show) is reinforcing the low-probability behavior (taking a bath).
Example 3: Using the principle to expand a narrow interest
A behavior technician is working with a nine-year-old client who spends most of his free time talking about trains and resists most other activities. Rather than fighting the strong interest, the behavior analyst uses it. The team sets up arrangements where brief access to train talk or train play reinforces participation in other activities: “First five minutes of the board game, then two minutes of train talk.” The strong interest becomes a powerful, naturally available reinforcer. The learner participates in a wider range of activities because each one reliably leads to access to the high-probability behavior. The interest is honored rather than suppressed.
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Why Is the Premack Principle Important in ABA?
The Premack Principle matters because it expands what counts as a reinforcer. If reinforcement were limited to tangible items and edibles, ABA programs would be constrained to a narrow set of motivators that satiate quickly and don’t always generalize well to everyday life. The Premack Principle opens up the entire range of a learner’s preferred activities as potential reinforcers. Anything the learner likes to do can, in principle, reinforce something they’re less inclined to do. This makes reinforcement more flexible, more natural, and easier to sustain.
The principle is also deeply practical. First-then arrangements are easy for parents, behavior technicians, and teachers to understand and implement. The behavior technician running a session can set up first-then contingencies on the fly as natural opportunities arise, and the therapist working with the family can build them into home routines. They map onto how people naturally structure activities (work before play, chores before fun) and they don’t require special materials beyond, at most, a simple visual board. This accessibility is part of why the Premack Principle is one of the most widely used reinforcement strategies in both clinical and everyday settings.
Premack arrangements also tend to feel respectful when implemented well. Rather than withholding things arbitrarily, a first-then arrangement is transparent: the learner knows what’s expected and what they’ll get for doing it. Used thoughtfully, it gives the learner a clear, predictable path to the things they want. This kind of clarity and predictability supports learner agency and reduces the frustration that comes from not understanding why a preferred activity isn’t available. For more on the orientation toward learner empowerment in contemporary ABA, read our blog on a fresh approach: empowering children with autism.
There are limits and cautions, though. The Premack Principle can be misused if it becomes a way of withholding things the learner genuinely needs or has a right to, or if the “first” demand is unreasonable relative to the “then” reward. A first-then arrangement that requires an hour of difficult work for thirty seconds of a preferred activity isn’t a fair contingency and is unlikely to work anyway. The behavior analyst calibrates the demand to the learner’s current abilities and makes sure the arrangement is reasonable. The conditioned reinforcer value of the “then” activity, and how it compares to the effort of the “first” activity, both matter for whether the arrangement actually reinforces.
It’s also worth noting that research on the Premack Principle is more mixed than its popularity might suggest. Some reviews have found that the response-deprivation hypothesis, a related but more precise account of when access to a behavior will reinforce another behavior, predicts outcomes more reliably than the original Premack formulation. The principle remains a useful and widely applied framework, but behavior analysts hold it with appropriate nuance rather than treating it as an iron law. For more on how contemporary ABA approaches reinforcement, read our Q&A about ABA therapy for children with autism.
FAQs About the Premack Principle
Is the Premack Principle the same as a first-then board?
They’re closely related but not identical. The Premack Principle is the underlying behavioral principle: a higher-probability behavior can reinforce a lower-probability one. A first-then board is a visual tool that applies the principle, showing the learner the “first” task and the “then” reward in a clear, concrete way. You can use the Premack Principle without a board (just by stating the contingency), and a first-then board is one common way to make the principle visible and predictable for the learner.
How is the Premack Principle different from regular reinforcement?
Regular reinforcement often uses tangible items, edibles, or praise as the reinforcer. The Premack Principle uses access to a preferred behavior or activity as the reinforcer. The key insight is reinforcer relativity: whether one behavior reinforces another depends on their relative probabilities, not on any inherent property of the behaviors. This means the same activity can be a reinforcer in one context and the behavior being reinforced in another, depending on what else is available and what the learner is more inclined to do at the time.
How do behavior analysts know which behavior is the high-probability one?
The most direct way is to observe what the learner does when given free choice. The activities the learner spends more time doing, or chooses more often, are the higher-probability behaviors. Behavior analysts also use preference assessments and family input to identify high-probability activities. Importantly, the high-probability behavior can change over time and across contexts, so the team checks periodically rather than assuming a fixed hierarchy.
Can the Premack Principle be used in a way that’s disrespectful or coercive?
It can be misused, which is why thoughtful implementation matters. The principle becomes problematic when it’s used to withhold things the learner genuinely needs (food, rest, bathroom access, comfort) or when the “first” demand is unreasonably large relative to the “then” reward. A respectful first-then arrangement involves reasonable demands, transparent expectations, and preferred activities the learner can realistically earn. Contemporary ABA emphasizes using the principle in ways that respect the learner’s rights and autonomy rather than as a tool for compliance at any cost.
Does the Premack Principle work for everyone?
It works in many cases but not all, and research on its precise mechanisms is more nuanced than its popular reputation suggests. Some learners respond strongly to first-then arrangements; others may need additional supports, or a different reinforcement strategy entirely. The arrangement also depends on the “then” activity being genuinely preferred and the “first” activity being within the learner’s reach. The behavior analyst monitors whether the arrangement is actually increasing the target behavior and adjusts if it isn’t working.
Key Takeaways About the Premack Principle
- The Premack Principle states that a higher-probability behavior can reinforce a lower-probability behavior when access to the preferred behavior is made contingent on the less-preferred one.
- It’s often called “Grandma’s Rule” and is the foundation of the widely used first-then strategy in ABA and special education.
- The principle was introduced by David Premack in 1959 and demonstrates reinforcer relativity: whether a behavior reinforces another depends on their relative probabilities, not inherent properties.
- The Premack Principle expands what counts as a reinforcer to include any preferred activity, making reinforcement more flexible and natural.
- Used thoughtfully, first-then arrangements are transparent and respectful; misused, they can become coercive, so the demand must be reasonable and the learner’s rights respected.
- Research on the precise mechanisms is nuanced, with the response-deprivation hypothesis offering a more precise account in some cases, so behavior analysts apply the principle with appropriate nuance.
