Self-reinforcement is a study skill that can improve student motivation and achievement. It involves students rewarding themselves with reinforcers when they meet performance criteria on tasks. There are four steps to teaching self-reinforcement: determining standards and criteria for work, selecting a reinforcer, evaluating performance, and self-administering the reinforcer. Examples of effective self-reinforcers include playing a game, talking to friends, or going outside.

1. Self-Reinforcement
A Self-Regulating Study Skill

2. • Self-reinforcement is a study skill
which can improve motivation and
achievement in all subject areas.
• Students with learning difficulties
benefit from learning how to self-
reinforce because it improves self-
regulation, self esteem, goal setting,
time management, and
independence.
• Scaffolding reinforcement can prepare
students to self-reinforce and
generalize skills and behaviors.

3. • Students self-reinforce by choosing a
reinforcer and rewarding themselves
with it when criterion for performance
is reached. There are 4 steps in
teaching students how to self-
reinforce.
• Determine standards and set
evaluative criteria for work.
• Select a reinforcer to be earned.
• Evaluate performance to
determine whether criteria was
met.
• Self-administer the reinforcer.

4. • A self-reinforcer should be:
• small and easily deliverable
• not edible
• individualized to the student
• readily accessible
• limited in amount/duration
• Examples of self-reinforcers include:
• playing a game
• talking to friends
• going outside
• showing success to others

5. • Self-reinforcement should be
explicitly taught, modeled, and then
scaffolded, gradually lessening
monitoring and supports.
• Initially access to the reinforcer may
need to be controlled.
• Self-reinforcement should
immediately follow self-evaluation.
• The more often a student can select
a target behavior and consistently
self-reinforce that behavior, the
more likely it will occur in the future.