Depression: Loss of Reinforcers or Loss of Reinforcer Effectiveness? - Republished Article

A number of behavior therapists have proposed that depression results when a discriminative stimulus or reinforcer for behavior is removed. It is proposed here that the depressed person's general loss of interest in his environment suggests that there is a loss of reinforcer effectiveness. The manner in which environmental events, including the loss of a reinforcer, may result in this general loss of reinforcer effectiveness is discussed. The possible evolutionary significance of depression is also briefly discussed.