The effects of feedback and contingent reinforcement on the exercise behavior of chronic pain patients

The purpose of this study was to increase knowledge through research in the area of operant management of chronic back pain, using a strong experimental design. Reinforcement was made contingent on rate of walking, and feedback about progress was provided at certain intervals during each observation session. The changing criterion experimental design for a single subject indicated important systematic increases in walking rate, while the no-reinforcement and non-contingent reinforcement procedures produced no systematic effect. Pre-post ratings showed an average decrease in reported pain.