1. Mia Provenzano
PSY1400, Fall 2011

2. It is a show about an extremely
dysfunctional family…
Which makes for a great source of various
contingencies...
That you will see in a second…
But first, let’s get to know the Bluth’s a little
bit. Let’s see what they have to say…

3.  This is George Bluth
Sr., CEO of the Bluth
Company. As of
recently, George has
been imprisoned for
toying with the Bluth
Company’s assets.
He considers jail a
vacation from real
life.

4.  This is Lucille Bluth.
Upon her
husband’s recent
imprisonment, she
has been named
CEO of the Bluth
company. She is
controlling,
overbearing, &
judgmental.

5.  This is GOB (George Oscar Bluth). He is
the oldest Bluth child. He works as a
struggling magician who rides around on
a segway… enough said.

6.  This is Michael. He
is the only
responsible and
seemingly normal
member of the
Bluth family.
Michael spends
most of his time
cleaning up his
family’s messes.

7.  This is Lindsay. She
married her
husband simply to
spite her mother.
She is high
maintenance and
has no aspirations
of ever working or
making her own
money.

8.  This is Buster, the youngest Bluth and
subject of rampant contingency use.
Buster is a naïve man-boy who still
competes in pageants with Lucille.

9.  This is Buster’s real
father, George Sr.’s
twin brother, Oscar
Bluth. He is an old
hippie who has
nothing going for him
besides a full head of
hair.

10. Lucille hears that Michael is housing all of
his siblings except Buster. Buster has been
quite annoying to Lucille lately.
So she guilts Michael into letting Buster
move in with him.

11. Michael: “Gob, what are you doing here,
and why are you in a bathrobe?”
Gob: “What’s he doing here, and why is he
in his bathing suit?”
Buster: “Mom dropped me off to spend
time with Michael.”

12. Gob: “Spend time with Michael? Or to
serve her own menopausal needs?”
Michael: “She’s always got to wedge
herself in the middle of us so that she can
control everything.”
Buster: “Yeah, Mom’s awesome. Maybe
we should call her…”

13. Before: Behavior: After:
Buster does not Buster Buster receives
receive dirty says, “Mom’s dirty looks
looks from his awesome.” from his
brothers brothers
Dirty looks, of course, are aversive stimuli

14. …it is revealed that George Sr. did not pay
much attention or give a lot of support to
Buster as a child.
You were just a turd.

15. SD:
After:
Lucille
Little Buster
receives
praise and
Before: Behavior:
attention
Little Buster Little Buster
receives no presents his
praise and arts & crafts After:
attention project
Little Buster
receives no
Buster’s presenting an SΔ: praise and
art project is not in the attention
episode, but used purely George
for this example

16. …Buster has already began imitating their
behavior, specifically the way they
speak.
Old horny slut!

17. Sometimes.
Before: Behavior: After:
Buster Buster bad- Buster
receives no mouths Lucille receives
imitative imitative
reinforcers reinforcers

18.  The stimuli arising from the match between
Buster’s behavior and the behavior of his
siblings maintains Buster’s behavior of using
expletives. His siblings also praised his
negative talk about their mother.

19.  Praise is a learned reinforcer.
 It is established by being paired with
other learned and/or unlearned
reinforcers.
Praise Food, drink, lovi
ng touch
No Praise No
food, drink, lovi

20.  Buster’s comments were already being
reinforced by praise when they took a
turn down inappropriate street.
 So his siblings then
stopped praising
his vulgar
comments.

21. Before: Behavior: After:
Buster
Buster uses Buster
receives expletives receives
praise to describe no
Lucille
praise

22.  The effects of our actions
determine whether we will
repeat them.
 For example, Buster will no longer
enter photobooths. 

23.  Well, after Lucille heard about Buster’s
hurtful comments she came crawling
back to him.
 Naturally, to get him back she taunted
him with his own words.

24. Buster: “Michael! I want to go with Mom.”
Michael: “You said that she shoots you
down.”
Buster: “ I was just trying to fit in.”
Michael: “You were flying today, buddy.”
Buster: “Yes. I was flying. But a little too close
to the sun.”
Lucille: “You let him go in the sun?!”

25.  Following this short dialogue, Lucille told
Buster to go sit in the car. He then insisted
on sitting in the front seat. So maybe
that’s not impressive for us all, but it was
a big step for Buster.
 In the end, Buster did go back home with
his mother, but through this process he
learned to stand up to her. At least a
little bit.

26. The Bluth family lived…. Ever after.