What happens when an individual becomes satiated with edible reinforcers?

When an individual becomes satiated with edible reinforcers, the effectiveness of those reinforcers decreases. Satiation occurs when an individual has had enough of a particular reinforcer, leading to a reduction in its value as a reward. For example, if someone is given a lot of chocolate, after a certain point, they may no longer find it appealing or motivating, and it will not encourage the desired behavior as effectively as it did before. This concept is fundamental in behavioral therapy and communication disorders, where it is critical to ensure that the reinforcers used to promote desirable behaviors remain effective over time. Therefore, recognizing the signs of satiation can help in selecting appropriate and varied reinforcers during intervention.