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Positive and Negative Reinforcement and Punishment

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Behavioral psychologists demonstrated it is easier to modify behavior when the expected behavior is rewarded. For example, you compliment your child for doing well in school, or you get coupons for your next purchase because you spent so much at the grocery store.

Define and discuss positive reinforcement, negative reinforcement, positive punishment, and negative punishment. Give examples of two of these. Occasionally, people unknowingly reinforce undesirable behaviors. Give an example of this, discussing the consequences that resulted. Finally. discuss how one can avoid rewarding the wrong behaviors.

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Solution Summary

Explains and provides examples of positive reinforcement, negative reinforcement, positive punishment, and negative punishment.

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Positive reinforcement occurs when a desirable or rewarding consequence follows the behavior. This can be a good or a bad thing, depending on whether we are intentionally reinforcing a desired behavior or accidentally reinforcing a problem behavior. An example of the former might be the parent who wishes their child to complete their homework every day as soon as they get home from school. As soon as the child completes the homework, the parent gives praise and encouragement, and perhaps if the homework is done before dinner the child is allowed to have a favorite dessert. In this way, getting homework finished is associated with good consequences. Ax example of reinforcing a problem behavior might be the person at work who complains, argues, and comes up with excuses when asked to do any work. If co-workers do this person's work for them to get them to stop complaining or just to get the work done, the person has been rewarded; they got the work done for them. Next time there is work they don't want to do, they have learned that the behavior of complaining achieves the desired result, even if this is not what the co-workers ...

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