Boomers Google. Millennials overthink. Gen Z prompts like pros. And behavior analysts everywhere are quietly asking: what behaviors are we actually reinforcing here?
In this episode, we break down how different generations use ChatGPT through an ABA lens—antecedents, reinforcement, response effort, and all. From boomers cautiously testing the waters, to millennials using AI for emotional regulation and task completion, to Gen Z optimizing for efficiency with near-zero response cost, we ask the real question: is this shaping smarter behavior or reinforcing learned helplessness?
We talk stimulus control (why prompts matter), reinforcement schedules (why instant answers feel so good), and whether AI is functioning as a powerful prompt… or an accidental crutch. Is ChatGPT increasing skill acquisition and generalization—or just reducing problem-solving endurance? Are we building fluency, or escaping effort because the reinforcement is too immediate?
Is this a cognitive upgrade, a creativity extinction burst, or just another tool we’re morally panicking over—like calculators, Google, and spellcheck before it?
Spoiler: the technology is neutral. The contingencies are not. 🎤🔥🧠
