The distortion due to differential generalized reinforcement may be traced in the behavior of the troubadour or in the history of the art of fiction. The troubadour begins, let us say, by recounting actual heroic exploits. Certain parts of his account receive special approval because they interest or flatter his listeners. A first effect is that these parts survive in future tellings. Under the same differential reinforcement he begins to stretch his report; he exaggerates the size of the battle and the Heroism of the participants (hyperbole). Finally, he breaks away from stimulus control altogether, “describing” scenes he has never observed or “reporting” stories he has never heard. (pp. 149-150)
