1. Reinforcers
- Examples and description of both positive
and negative reinforcement
Punishment
- Examples and description of both positive
and negative punishment

2. Positive and negative reinforcement and positive and negative punishment
are concepts that can be a little difficult to understand. The following can
help distinguish between to the differences:
"Negative" refers to the REMOVAL of something.
"Positive" refers to the ADDITION of something.
"Reinforcement" refers to INCREASING a behavior.
"Punishment" refers to DECREASING a behavior.

3. Positive reinforcer: A stimulus is added to the environment that brings
about an increase in a preceding response.
Examples:
After noticing a decline in
Anna's grades, her mother
told her that if she would
study for an extra 15 minutes
each evening, she would take After a trip to the
her to her choice of movie on dentist, Matt's
Saturday. dad told him he
would give him a
quarter every
time he
remembers to
brush his teeth
without being
asked.

4. Negative reinforcer: An unpleasant stimulus whose removal leads to an
increase in the probability that a preceding response will be repeated.
Examples:
* John enjoys a dish of ice cream after his meal, after his last trip to the doctor
when his weight was brought up, she has started nagging him to skip
dessert. After a few days of this, John decides it's easier to give up the ice
cream than have arguments all the time.
Ted's younger sister is
constantly nagging him to
let her play his video
game – she asks all the
time and finally after a few
weeks, he gives in and
lets her play.

5. Punishment: A stimulus that decreases the probability that a previous behavior will
occur again.
Positive punishment is used to weaken a response through the application of an
unpleasant stimulus.
Carl is having a rough time house training his new dog, finally after
several days of accidents on the carpet, Carl starts rubbing his dog's
nose in the pile of poo every time it has an accident on the rug.
Kevin has just gotten a paddling in the
principal's office after getting in a fight
on the playground with another boy.

6. Punishment: A stimulus that decreases the probability that a previous
behavior will occur again.
Negative punishment consists of the removal of something pleasant.
After repeated warnings about missing curfew, Lee's parents have
taken away the keys to his car indefinitely.
After their rowdy behavior when they had
a substitute teacher for the day, Mrs.
Brown's entire class had to skip recess
for three days.