Rule-Governed Behavior refers to behavior that is controlled by verbal or written instructions, rules, or statements. Instead of learning through direct experience or consequences, the individual follows the behavior based on rules they have been given.
Example
A child is told by a parent, “If you clean your room, you’ll get to watch an extra hour of TV.” The child cleans their room without ever having experienced this consequence before, simply by following the rule. The behavior (cleaning the room) is under the control of the verbal rule provided by the parent, making it rule-governed behavior.