Remember, every behavior an organism engages in occurs for one of four reasons (See Right)

A quick and easy way to remember the four functions is to remember that Everybody E.A.T.S. (Escape, Attention, Tangible, Sensory)!

OK, let’s dive in!

Tangible (Access)

When a behavior is maintained by access to tangibles, this means that the target behavior is reinforced by gaining access to something physical. According to Cooper, Heron, and Heward, “items such as stickers, trinkets, school materials, trading cards, and small toys serve as tangible reinforcers. An object’s intrinsic worth is irrelevant to its ultimate effectiveness as a positive reinforcer” (2020).