1. Health

Consequence

From , former About.com Guide

Updated March 04, 2008

About.com Health's Disease and Condition content is reviewed by the Medical Review Board

Definition: Anything that happens directly after a challenging behavior.

Consequences can be "positive," meaning that they reinforce the behavior by encouraging or rewarding it; consequences can also be "negative," meaning that they discourage the behavior and decrease the chances of it being repeated.

Consequence is the "C" in the A-B-C Behavior Chain ("A" is for antecedent, while "B" is for behavior).

Examples:
Examples of consequences are yelling, offering calm reassurance, giving the person with Alzheimer's an item like food or a photo album, taking something away from the person, or removing the person from the situation in which the behavior occurred.

©2012 About.com. All rights reserved.

A part of The New York Times Company.

We comply with the HONcode standard
for trustworthy health
information: verify here.