Contingency Management (CM) is a treatment used for alcohol abuse. Treatment encourages positive behavior change by providing positive reinforcement when treatment goals are achieved and by refraining from rewarding or punishing unwanted behaviors (Higginsn & Petry, 1999). For example, if the goal is abstinence from alcohol, abstaining from drinking alcohol could result in a voucher to be exchanged for time off work, while drinking alcohol would result in no vouchers or the need to work overtime at work. The scientific foundations for managing contingencies come from the framework of operant conditioning, which uses reinforcing and punitive consequences to influence (e.g. increase or decrease) behavior. The use of contingency management for alcohol abuse suggests that the behavior is operant. This means that alcohol abuse is reinforced both by the automatic reinforcement of the biochemical effects that the substance has on the body, and by positive reinforcement obtained from environmental factors, such as positive attention from peers. Animal research has been conducted on alcohol and other drug (AOD) treatment, and the results show that not only do laboratory animals show similar patterns of AOD use and dependence as human individuals, but their behavior can be manipulated with success through reinforcing and punitive consequences. Similar to how human individuals with AOD addiction spend time and money to continue engaging in AOD abuse, animals heavily addicted to alcohol or other drugs are engaged in boring tasks (e.g. pushing a lever) and ignore other edible reinforcers in favor of engaging in AOD. These findings are important because they suggest that… half of the article… Second, the clinician provides tangible reinforcement based on the demonstration of abstinence. Third, tangible reinforcement is withheld when the patient fails to demonstrate abstinence. Fourth, the patient establishes alternative, healthier activities with the help of the doctor. CM is usually, but not always, part of larger, more comprehensive treatment programs (Higgins, 1999). Works CitedHiggins, S.T., & Petry, N.M. (1999). Contingency management: Incentives for sobriety. Alcohol Research & Health, 23(2), 122-127.Hagedorn, H. J., Noorbaloochi, S., Simon, A. B., Bangerter, A., Stitzer, M. L., Stetler, C. B., & Kivlahan, D. (2013). Rewarding early abstinence in Veterans Health Administration addiction clinics. Journal of Substance Abuse Treatment, 45(1), 109-117. doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jsat.2013.01.006