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What does reinforcement mean in psychology


What Is Reinforcement? Psychology, Definition, And Applications

Reinforcement psychology is the study of the effect of reinforcement techniques on behavior. Much of reinforcement psychology is based on the early research of B.F. Skinner who is considered the father of operant conditioning research. Skinner's research was based on the law of effect posited by Edward Thorndike. Skinner introduced the concept of reinforcement to this framework. The principle of reinforcement suggests that, when we follow behavior with pleasant consequences, that behavior is likely to be repeated. Also, behavior that's followed by unpleasant consequences will less likely be repeated. The use of positive reinforcement quotes has helped improved symptoms of those struggling with mental health conditions, like depression and anxiety. 

The Definition Of Reinforcement In Psychology

The term reinforcement refers to anything that increases the probability that a response will occur. The reinforcement psychology definition refers to the effect that reinforcement has on behavior. Reinforcement will increase or strengthen the response.

Reinforcement Psychology Can Strengthen Healing

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When we praise a child for helping clean up the toys, they're likely to continue helping clean up in the future. When we offer a treat to a dog during training, they're likely to repeat the behavior we're teaching them in the future.

Categories Of Reinforcement

There are two categories of reinforcement: primary reinforcement and secondary reinforcement.

Primary reinforcement occurs naturally and doesn't require the subject to learn anything new. The principle of primary reinforcement is sometimes referred to as unconditional reinforcement. Primary reinforcement assists the survival of people, plants, and animals. Natural cycles provide us with food, sleep, water, air, and even sex.

Our experiences and our genetics often play a factor in primary reinforcement. If we don't like a certain food, we're just not going to eat it. People with fair skin aren't likely to spend long hours at the beach, bathing in the sun.

Secondary reinforcement is also known as conditioned reinforcement. This category of reinforcement involves using a reinforcer that's paired with another reinforcer. We can find a good example of this in dog training where a trainer uses a clicker in conjunction with a treat. The primary reinforcer is the dog treat. When the treat is used along with the clicker and praise, at some point the clicker will be able to serve as the primary reinforcer, and the treat can be taken away completely.

Types Of Reinforcement In Psychology

Reinforcement can be of a positive or negative nature. When reinforcement is positive, the trainer is adding something to increase or invoke a response. A good example of this is giving a child small candies as a reward for toilet training.

Negative reinforcement is removing something to increase the response. An example of this is if a child owes his or her parents a sum of money and the child is struggling to pay it back. If the parents ask the child to pay 90% of the money back by a certain date and the child complies, the parents will waive the remaining 10% of the balance.

Note that positive and negative in this context doesn't pertain to good and bad. As in mathematics, it's adding something to reinforce behavior or taking something away to reinforce a behavior.

Factors That Influence The Strength Of The Response

How someone reinforces the behavior and when they reinforce it are factors that affect the overall strength of the response. The following things can measure the strength of the response:

  • Persistence
  • Frequency
  • Duration
  • Accuracy of response after reinforcement stops

There are two other important terms in reinforcement psychology: continuous reinforcement and partial reinforcement.

Continuous reinforcement means that you reinforce a certain behavior every time that it happens. Partials reinforcement means that once the subject has acquired the behavior, the trainer can offer reinforcement part of the time and still get the same positive effect.

Skinner identified four main types of partial reinforcement including:

  • Fixed-ratio schedules: Reinforcing a behavior after a specific number of responses have occurred.
  • Fixed-interval schedules: Reinforcing a behavior after a specific period has elapsed.
  • Variable-ratio schedules: Reinforcing the behavior after an unpredictable number of responses.
  • Variable-interval schedules: Reinforcing the behavior after an unpredictable period has elapsed.

Applications For Reinforcement

The basic principles in reinforcement psychology are being used in many facets of life including education, clinical settings, and community settings, to name a few.

Application In The Educational Setting

Perhaps one of the greatest applications for reinforcement psychology pertains to the development of positive behavioral supports and interventions (PBS) as a means for modifying student behavior at school and in the classrooms.

PBS is a program that uses universal behavioral interventions that are recognized worldwide and are aimed at preventing disruptive behaviors. PBS can be used at the school-wide level, classroom level, and individual student level. PBS is most successful when schools employ the interventions at all three levels.

At the school-wide level, a team of researchers did a three-year study of over 438,500 students in the Chicago Public School system between the years of 2001-2004. The study involved promoting four schoolwide expectations which were:

  • Be respectful
  • Be responsible
  • Be academically engaged
  • Be caring

The study showed vast reductions in office discipline referrals and suspensions, as well as increases in math test scores. In other studies, schools report that their students showed drastically improved social skills. Schools were able to decrease the amount of time and resources they needed to address behavioral issues. Many of the studies showed that PBS resulted in higher test scores and higher academic achievement.

Application In The Clinical Setting

Reinforcement psychology has proven helpful in a variety of clinical settings. One of the first applications of reinforcement techniques pertains to children who live with severe social anxiety. A 2008 study conducted by a team of researchers involved a 12-year-old boy by the name of Luke. Luke was selectively mute at school. Researchers believe that selective mutism is a symptom of social anxiety. The clinicians studied the boy as teachers used reinforcement techniques to increase Luke's verbalization. They used either a few prompts or no prompts at all in the normal classroom setting to achieve the goal of helping him lessen his anxiety enough that he could speak. The experiment proved that contingent positive reinforcement is the most applicable design of therapy for students who live with selective mutism.

Reinforcement techniques are also commonly used to treat substance abuse. Substance use can reinforce behavior because it creates pleasant sensations while reducing anxiety, increasing someone's ability to be social, increasing energy, and encouraging sleep. Unfortunately, the reinforcement of substance use is an unhealthy reinforcer that can cause dependence. Substance abuse counselors may use positive and negative reinforcements to encourage healthy behavior and help clients substitute new habits for unhealthy ones.

Positive reinforcements are often used in substance abuse treatment to relieve the client of the stressful situations that are causing them to look for an escape. Positive reinforcements may include involving family in treatment to teach them how to positively influence their loved one in treatment instead of being confrontational and causing additional stress. Other positive reinforcements may be allowing the client to move up to higher levels in the program that offer more fun and engaging activities such as doing yoga, rock climbing, outdoor meditation, ropes courses, and other enjoyable or challenging therapies.

Negative reinforcement can also be quite successful in substance abuse therapy. The idea is to allow the client to feel their stressors and encounter their fears, but instead of letting them succumb to drug or alcohol abuse, the therapist teaches them new coping strategies. By changing thought patterns, meditating, or substituting some type of healthy thought pattern with using substances, clients will learn that they can experience joy and happiness and live stress-free lives without feeling like they need to use substances to feel the euphoria.

Many who struggle with substance use disorder see no way out of their dependence. However, the practice of treating substance use disorders via online counseling is growing in popularity. This study by the Canadian Agency for Drugs and Technologies in Health, showed that e-therapy or online therapy reduced substance use in patients. Getting help online is proving to be just as effective as other forms of care as technology improves and people find new ways to create a relationship with therapists online. Thus, when it comes to managing the symptoms of substance use, anxiety, OCD, or other mental illness symptoms with reinforcement therapy, online therapy can help.

If you are struggling with substance use or other mental issues, it might be a good idea to seek a consultation from an online therapist. Counselors at BetterHelp are ready and available to give you guidance and treatment from the comfort of your own home. Online therapists are trained and licensed professionals who can work with you on reinforcement psychology if that will help you cope with your mental health. Being able to communicate with your therapist via chat, video, or phone on a regular basis will give you more immediate to care you might need and the reinforcement which may help you build a better life.  Read what others have said about their experiences below.

Reinforcement Psychology Can Strengthen Healing

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When you have topics like "friendship," it's true that you likely won't be able to find specific studies. In these cases, please frame seeking help as a general option for improving the quality of life (which you can then relate to the article's topic). For example, "Sometimes stress, work, and other challenges in life place a strain on our friendships. When it comes to managing these challenges in healthy ways and your friendships, online therapy can help. For example, research shows that online therapy is an effective option for treating a wide range of mental health issues, including depression, panic disorder, burnout, and PTSD. One study found that online therapy significantly reduced symptoms associated with all of these mental health issues. [LINK: https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0040089] When you prioritize your own mental health, you're better able to support your friendships. "

“Jarrod is a professional, kind and caring yet stern when needed. He uses positive reinforcement and gentle lines of questions to allow me to come to new realizations or create plans of action without scrutiny. It’s a very safe-feeling conversation. I appreciate the opportunity to be helped along on my journey by him!”

https://www.betterhelp.com/jarrod-balmer/

“Laura is a thoughtful listener, and has helped me immensely with processing several issues in my life. She offers constructive feedback on behaviors, including mine as well as the potential motivations of others, and helps me to understand the situation objectively without minimizing my thoughts or feelings on the situation. She's been so helpful and I'm grateful to have the opportunity to work with her.”

Application In The Community Setting

The concept of positive reinforcement has been tried in community settings with very positive results. In a 21-week experiment that involved paying volunteers to pick up trash at the Cache National Forest, which is primarily in Utah, volunteers picked up over 187 bags of trash. Volunteers consistently performed to task whether they were supervised or not and the practice has been effective over the long-term.

Norway uses the concept of positive reinforcement in its prison system. Prisoners receive the same services as non-incarcerated individuals. Their only consequence is the lack of freedom. The average sentence is only eight months long. Inmates have all the same rights as citizens outside the prison including the right to study and vote. The country tries to place offenders in the lowest security area possible so that it's easier for them to return to the community. Inmates are encouraged to go to school or work and are offered step-down services, including social and professional training, and transitional housing to help prevent recidivism. About 40% of the prisons are open prisons where inmates only have to go to their cells at night.

Getting Help To Solve Problems Or Improve Mood And Functioning

Reinforcement techniques are helpful for people of all ages, genders, races, and ethnicities. Unlike other types of treatment that require medication, reinforcement therapy is safe and non-invasive. Reinforcement therapy has been proven to be effective in nearly every setting, and it can help you too. You have nothing to lose and much to gain by contacting BetterHelp today to get matched with a licensed therapist that can help get you on the path to improved mental health.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

What are the 4 types of reinforcement?

The four types of reinforcement are:

  • Positive reinforcement: This is a stimulus or event in operant conditioning that involves the use of praise and reward to increase the possible occurrence of a specific response.
  • Negative reinforcement: This is a stimulus or event in operant conditioning that can be stopped or withheld to increase the possible occurrence of a specific response.
  • Positive punishment: This is a stimulus or event in operant conditioning that involves the use of an unpleasant incentive to increase the possible occurrence of a specific response.
  • Negative punishment: This is a stimulus or event in operant conditioning that involves the removal or withholding of an unpleasant incentive to increase the possible occurrence of a specific response.

What is reinforcement?

Reinforcement is a fundamental aspect of operant conditioning that is used to describe the strengthening of a situation or element.  In behavioral psychology, the term is used in operant conditioning, and refers to the application of any stimulus which facilitates and increases the likelihood of a specific response occurring. In some instances, reinforcement is also used to describe an enhanced behavioral effect or element, especially when this enhancement improves the depth and durability of memory.

What is an example of positive reinforcement?

A positive reinforcement is essentially a reward for a correct response. One example of a positive reinforcement is when you give your child a treat every time they did their homework. Your child will eventually come to understand that doing their homework comes with the added benefit of a treat, which gives them a dedicated interest in studying. Offering your child compliments is also another form of positive reinforcement, because it not only expresses your satisfaction, but gives them the impression that you recognize their efforts. Your compliments become reinforcing because children like to be loved and appreciated.

What is reinforcement behavior?

Reinforcement behavior is any action that constantly reoccurs in response to a stimulus. Reinforcement is an aspect of behavioral psychology that aims to influence the actions or reaction (behavior) of an individual or organism in relation to an activity or object (bait). For example, if your dog barks at the sound of a whistle after years of training, this is a reinforced behavior.

What is punishment reinforcement?

Punishment is often regarded as the opposite of reinforcement. In the same way that reinforcement can be positive and negative, punishment can also be positive and negative. Punishment is an operant conditioning technique that decreases the likelihood of an event or response reoccurring often through the use of an unpleasant or unfavorable consequence. The aim of punishment is to penalize a behavior as a means to dissuade its repetition.

What is the best type of reinforcement?

Positive reinforcement is generally regarded as the most effective form of reinforcement behavior, especially when it occurs immediately after the behavior. A positive enforcement not only encourages the desired response, but also enables both the operant and respondent to focus on the most pleasant aspect of the situation.

What are reinforcement techniques?

Reinforcement techniques are operant conditioning methods designed to increase the likelihood of a desired response. There are three types of reinforcement techniques: positive, negative, and extinguishing.   Each technique represents reward, punishment, and ignorance.

The first type of reinforcement is focused on reward. This is regarded as a positive reinforcement because it helps to encourage desirable behavior.

The second type of reinforcement is punishment, which is regarded as a negative reinforcement because it is an action taken to discourage undesirable behavior.

The third type of reinforcement technique is extinguishing, which neither rewards nor punishes a behavior. The purpose of extinction is to disregard the behavior, thereby decreasing its significance, until it becomes extinct.

What is natural reinforcement?

A natural reinforcement is a classical conditioning method that aims to achieve a response on the premise of an innate behavior. For example, if an individual enjoys listening to music, you can base your conversation with them around their favorite genre, artist, or song to help them build or improve their social skills. A natural reinforcer doesn’t require a contrived mode of conditioning to stimulate the desired response.

What are the elements of reinforcement?

The four primary elements of reinforcement are reward, policy, value function, and environment. These elements are considered most integral in reinforcement learning.

What are examples of reinforcement?

Here are a few examples of positive and negative reinforcements:

At a social media management firm, your boss gives you a bonus as part of your salary for doubling the total followers for an account you manage. The bonus payment (treat) acts as an enforcer that motivates you to surpass the minimum number of followers (response) you are expected to gain every month. This is an example of a positive reinforcement.

When you owe your parents some money, you are expected to find work to pay them back or face the consequences of giving up your car keys. In this case, you are engaging in a behavior (getting a job) to avoid an unfavorable stimulus (being unable to use your car). This is an example of a negative reinforcement.

Is positive reinforcement classical conditioning?

Positive reinforcement is a form operant conditioning. Classical conditioning focuses on instinctive responses that occur as a result of experience, unlike operant conditioning, which focuses on strengthening and weakening involuntary behavior. Classical conditioning is a concept often associated with the Russian psychologist Ivan Pavlov.

What are 5 types of reinforcers?

The five types of reinforcers are:

  • Positive reinforcer
  • Negative reinforcer
  • Primary reinforcer
  • Secondary reinforcer
  • Punishment

Is reinforcement better than punishment?

Research has shown that it is easier to encourage a good behavior than it is to discourage a bad behavior. It is for this reason that reinforcement is regarded as being more effective than punishment. Punishment can trigger negative emotions such as anger and resentment, which, in comparison to the positive emotions that reinforcement can generate, make it a less sustainable alternative.

What is an example of reinforcement?

A dog owner gives his dog a carrot (reinforcing stimulus) every time the animal fetches a ball. The dog receives (reinforcing stimulus) two carrots every time the ball is fetched under a stipulated amount of time. But when the dog fails to fetch the ball, the owner withholds the treat, or stops the game (punishment).

What is operant conditioning?

Operant conditioning, sometimes called instrumental conditioning, is a learning procedure that employs the use of reward and punishment to strengthen a particular behavior. Through operant conditioning, an individual is able to associate an action with a consequence. Here, the predetermined nature of the consequence applied is meant to instill the desired response to an action. The term operant conditioning was coined by American psychologist B. F. Skinner in 1937, and he is generally regarded as the father of operant conditioning.

Reinforcement & Reinforcement Schedules » AllPsych

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Psychology 101 Contents1: How to Learn Psychology - 1. 1: Influence of Research on Psychology - 1.2: Experimental Research - 1.3: Types of Research3: Biopsychology - 2.1: Neurotransmitters - 2.2: The Brain & Nervous System3: Intro to Development, Personality & Stage Theories - 3.1: Motor & Cognitive Development - 3.2: Erikson’s Stages of Psychosocial Development - 3.3: Freud’s Stages of Psychosexual Development - 3.4: Freud’s Structural & Topographical Model - 3.5: Freud’s Ego Defense Mechanisms - 3.6: Freud’s Ego Defense Mechanisms - - 3.7: Kohlberg’s Stages of Moral Development4: Intro to Learning Theory & Behavioral Psychology - 4.1: Classical & Operant Conditioning - 4.2: Reinforcement & Reinforcement Schedules5: Sensation & Perception - 5.1: Sensation - 5.2: Perception6: Memory, Intelligence, and States of Mind - 6.1: Memory & Forgetting - 6.2: Intelligence - 6.3: Relaxation & Hypnosis7: Motivation & Emotion - 7.1: Motivation - 7.2: Emotion8: Social Psychology - 8.1: Our View of Self & Others8. 2: Obedience & Power8.3: The Role of Groups9: Psychopathology - 9.1: Classifying Psychopathology - 9.2: Psychiatric Disorders - 9.3: Stigma, Stereotyping & the Mentally Ill10: Psychotherapy - 10.1: Types of Psychotherapy10.2: Therapy ProvidersReferences


  • Chapter 4.1: Classical & Operant Conditioning
  • Chapter 4.2: Reinforcement & Reinforcement Schedules

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The term reinforce means to strengthen, and is used in psychology to refer to any stimuli which strengthens or increases the probability of a specific response. For example, if you want your dog to sit on command, you may give him a treat every time he sits for you. The dog will eventually come to understand that sitting when told to will result in a treat. This treat is reinforcing because dogs like treats.

This is a simple description of a reinforcer (the treat), which increases the response (sitting). We all apply reinforcers everyday, most of the time without even realizing we are doing it. You may tell your child "good job" after he or she cleans their room; perhaps you tell your partner how good he or she look when they dress up; or maybe you got a raise at work after doing a great job on a project. All of these things increase the probability that the same response will be repeated.

There are four types of reinforcement: positive, negative, punishment, and extinction. We’ll discuss each of these and give examples.

Positive Reinforcement

The examples above describe what is referred to as positive reinforcement. Think of it as adding something in order to increase a response. For example, adding a treat will increase the response of sitting; adding praise will increase the chances of your child cleaning his or her room. The most common types of positive reinforcement or praise and rewards, and most of us have experienced this as both the giver and receiver.

Negative Reinforcement

Think of negative reinforcement as taking something away in order to increase a response. Taking away a toy until your son picks up his room, or withholding payment until a job is complete are examples of this. Basically, you want to remove or withhold something of value in order to increase a certain response or behavior.

Punishment (Positive Punishment)

What most people refer to punishment is typically positive punishment. This is when something aversive is added in order to decrease a behavior. The most common example of this is disciplining (e.g. berating) a child for misbehaving. The reason we do this is because the child begins to associate being punished with the negative behavior. The punishment is not liked and therefore to avoid it, he or she will stop behaving in that manner.

Negative Punishment

When you remove something in order to decrease a behavior, this is called negative punishment. You are taking something away so that a response or unwanted behavior is decreased. Putting a child in a time-out until they can decrease their aggressive behavior, for instance, is an example of a negative punishment. You're removing interactions with others in order to decrease the unwanted behavior.

Research has found positive reinforcement is the most powerful of any of these. Adding a positive to increase a response not only works better, but allows both parties to focus on the positive aspects of the situation. Punishment, when applied immediately following the negative behavior can be effective, but problems may result when it is not applied consistently. Punishment can also invoke other negative emotional responses, such as anger and resentment.

Know that we understand the four types of reinforcement, we need to understand how and when these are applied (Ferster & Skinner, 1957). For example, do we apply the positive reinforcement every time a child does something positive? Do we punish a child every time he does something negative? To answer these questions, you need to understand the schedules of reinforcement.

Applying one of the four types of reinforcement every time the behavior occurs (getting a raise after every successful project or getting spanked after every negative behavior) is called a Continuous Schedule. Its continuous because the application occurs after every project, behavior, etc. This is the best approach when using punishment. Inconsistencies in the punishment of children often results in confusion and resentment. A problem with this schedule is that we are not always present when a behavior occurs or may not be able to apply the punishment.

There are two types of continuous schedules:

Fixed Ratio. A fixed ratio schedule refers to applying the reinforcement after a specific number of behaviors. Spanking a child if you have to ask him three times to clean his room is an example. The problem is that the child (or anyone for that matter) will begin to realize that he can get away with two requests before he has to act. Therefore, the behavior does not tend to change until right before the preset number.

Fixed Interval. Applying the reinforcer after a specific amount of time is referred to as a fixed interval schedule. An example might be getting a raise every year and not in between. A major problem with this schedule is that people tend to improve their performance right before the time period expires so as to "look good" when the review comes around.

When reinforcement is applied on an irregular basis, they are called variable schedules.

Variable Ratio. This refers to applying a reinforcer after a variable number of responses. Variable ratio schedules have been found to work best under many circumstances and knowing an example will explain why. Imagine walking into a casino and heading for the slot machines. After the third coin you put in, you get two back. Two more and you get three back. Another five coins and you receive two more back. How difficult is it to stop playing?

Variable Interval. Reinforcing someone after a variable amount of time is the final schedule. If you have a boss who checks your work periodically, you understand the power of this schedule. Because you don’t know when the next ‘check-up’ might come, you have to be working hard at all times in order to be ready.

In this sense, the variable schedules are more powerful and result in more consistent behaviors. This may not be as true for punishment since consistency in the application is so important, but for all other types of reinforcement they tend to result in stronger responses.

 

Thanks for A. Kent Van Cleave, Jr., Ph.D. for comments on this article.

Reinforcement in psychology and its positive and negative examples

B.F. Skinner, one of the main theorists of behaviorism, defined reinforcement as a type of learning based on associating a behavior with its consequences, thereby increasing the likelihood of its repetition. When the consequences are negative, they talk about punishment, and when they are positive, they talk about support or praise. Within reinforcement learning, experts distinguish between two types of consequences: positive and negative.

While positive reinforcement occurs when a behavior is associated with something to be approved, negative reinforcement is about avoiding or withdrawing the aversive stimulus. Let's look at the main features of both procedures and talk about how you can use reinforcement in everyday life.

In This Article:

What is Positive Reinforcement Examples of Positive Reinforcement in the FamilyWhat is Negative ReinforcementPrimary Enhancers - Satisfying Basic NeedsSecondary Reinforcers - Not an Instant RewardMixing Different EnhancersUnwanted Positive Reinforcers

What is positive reinforcement

Photo by Tim Mossholder on Unsplash

In positive reinforcement learning, the achievement of a particular behavior is associated with pleasurable consequences. It doesn't have to be an object, not even a material one.

Food, stroking, smiling, verbal communication, or pleasurable emotions can be seen as positive reinforcers in many contexts.

A mother who congratulates her young daughter every time she uses the toilet correctly promotes learning through positive reinforcement.

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The same thing happens when a company gives an economic bonus to its most productive employees, and even a game win can be regarded as such. But in psychology, “positive reinforcement” refers to the difference that follows a behavior. Positive reinforcement is the process by which the learner creates associations.

From a technical point of view, we can say that with positive reinforcement there is a positive relationship between a particular response and a pleasant stimulus. Awareness of this situation prompts the subject to perform actions in order to receive a reward (or reinforcement).

Examples of positive reinforcement in the family

Positive reinforcement should be used in doses.

For example, there are many different situations in which parents praise their children. However, for the positive effect of reinforcement to be meaningful, one should not expect rewards for every little thing.

In the long run, it goes without saying that you should clean up after yourself from the table or take out the trash. However, this does not necessarily mean that praise cannot be given at this stage.

See how positive reinforcement works in the family and how it can be implemented in different ways:

  • In the evening, the child clears the table, even if he is not asked. As a direct consequence, he is allowed to stay up 10 minutes longer.
  • Your child is cleaning his room. Then praise him and show your joy.
  • If a teacher's school report is positive, many parents reward their child with money or a toy.

If you want to use positive reinforcement for your own purposes, make sure the appropriate reward arrives as soon as possible.

If too much time elapses between the action and the reward, the connection is lost and the desired effect (repetition of the behavior) does not materialize.

Positive reinforcement method

What is negative reinforcement

In contrast to what happens with positive reinforcement, with negative reinforcement, the instrumental response involves the disappearance of the aversive stimulus, that is, the object or situation that prompts the subject to run away or try do not contact him.

Behaviorally, the reinforcement of this procedure is the disappearance or absence of aversive stimulation. The concept of "negative" refers to the fact that the reward is not in receiving a stimulus, but in its absence.

With negative reinforcement, the unwanted behavior prevents the appearance of the aversive stimulus. For example, when a person suffering from agoraphobia deliberately does not use public transport in order to avoid an attack of fear.

The next stage of such learning is the disappearance of the aversive stimulus, which is present until the subject changes the unwanted behavior.

It's like stopping an annoying alarm clock at the push of a button, like a mother buying something for her baby to stop her crying, or giving her a painkiller when something hurts.

And now let's talk about some of the nuances.

Primary Amplifiers - Meeting Basic Needs

However, in practice, reinforcement is not so simple, because many questions are considered subjectively. A very striking example is the opinion that a baby can be "accustomed to hands" if you give him parental hugs at the first cry.

But it is important to remember that in the context of psychology, the main reinforcing elements are those that are directly oriented to the needs of the person.

Hunger and thirst, as well as love and closeness, are the most important factors for babies and toddlers. However, they should never be made conditional so that children can build the basic trust they need.

Positive and negative reinforcements can only be used as additional aspects that go beyond the usual degree of satisfaction of needs.

There's nothing wrong with after-dinner dessert, sweets, or parental hugs.

Secondary Reinforcers - Not Instant Reward

In contrast to the direct satisfaction of needs, secondary reinforcers are focused on the fact that they can only be used indirectly to satisfy an individual need.

For example, the easiest tool at this stage is money. If a person receives a certain amount of money for certain activities, he can subsequently buy something for himself. Again, these may be basic needs: food or clothing.

In families, some parents also use some sort of token system. Positive behavior is marked with an asterisk. If a certain number of stars is reached, the child can choose something in the store.

For example, it could be simple things like eating ice cream after five stars or visiting the zoo after 25 stars.

Mixing different reinforcers

Many different types of reinforcers are used to facilitate operant learning. They do not always fit into a clear category: they are neither negative nor positive.

In general, however, there are three different types of boosters:

  • Material reinforcements.
  • Social reinforcement: this aspect is characterized by words of praise and recognition. However, a reassuring smile or a friendly nod may suffice.
Photo by Ron Lach: Pexels
  • Active reinforcements. As a result, a visit to the zoo, a joint movie evening or a concert is chosen.

It is best to avoid material incentives as much as possible.

Unwanted positive reinforcement

It also happens that positive reinforcement has a negative effect.

For example, many gambling operators use the concept of positive reinforcement to encourage people to keep playing.

And in situations where parents are unaware that they are facilitating certain behaviors in their child, positive reinforcement often occurs.

For example, if a baby in a supermarket throws himself on the floor and starts screaming, many parents react by trying to avoid the unpleasant situation. As a result, the child often receives candy at the checkout.

However, this understandable desire to end the embarrassing situation as soon as possible acts as a positive reinforcer.

In the end, the decisive moment in this situation for the child is that, throwing himself on the floor and screaming, he received a candy. So what reason should there be in the future not to repeat this behavior?

If a child is tired and cries and then picked up, it has a similar effect. The search for intimacy and security was successful. This is how he learns that crying has a positive effect.

Note: This does not mean that children should not be consoled. However, all parents should be aware that being too gentle can quickly lead to undesirable results that will build character in the long run.

What is reinforcement? - Practical psychology on Aboutyourself.ru

Author Tatiana at . Published in Behavioral Science Last updated: 11/04/2015

Reinforcement is a term used in operant conditioning to refer to anything that increases the likelihood of a response being repeated. Note that reinforcement is defined by the effect it has on behavior—for example, it increases or strengthens individual manifestations of it.

Reinforcement may include praise - for example, immediately after the child puts away his toys. By reinforcing the desired behavior with praise, the mother can ensure that the child performs the same action again and again.

Types of reinforcements

Reinforcement can include anything that increases the likelihood of repeating a behavior, including stimuli, the events themselves, and situations. For example, in class, reinforcement might include grading, getting rid of an unwanted task, special rewards, sweets, extra rest time, and fun games.

There are two main types of reinforcements:

  • Primary reinforcement (sometimes referred to as unconditioned) occurs naturally and does not need to be learned. Primary reinforcement often has an evolutionary basis and helps in the survival of the species. Examples of primary reinforcers include food, air, sleep, water, and sex. Genotype and experience can also play a role in how exactly reinforcement affects behavior. One person may be sensitive to a particular type of reinforcer—for example, food—while another person will not be affected at all by food as a reinforcer.
  • Secondary reinforcement (also known as conditioned reinforcer) includes stimuli that have become reinforcers when paired with other stimuli. For example, when training a dog, praise and petting can be used as primary reinforcers. The clicker sound can be associated with praise and affection until it itself begins to work as a secondary reinforcer.

There are two types of reinforcement in operant conditioning: