Different types of reinforcement and punishment

In applied behavior analysis we use a lot of different terminology when talking about behaviors. At times I like to go back and review the meaning of different terms to make sure that every one is being consistent in the way they are referring to the terms. Today I’m going to review the terms positive reinforcement, negative reinforcement, positive punishment and negative punishment. These terms are the most commonly confused, and I find it helpful to review what they actually mean and give real-life examples of how they’re used.

Positive Reinforcement
By definition positive reinforcement is the application of a stimuli in response to a behavior which leads to an increase in the likelihood of that behavior occurring again. More simply put, something good happens when we do something good which makes us want to do that good thing again. An example of this is giving a child a sticker when they’ve gone potty (i.e. during potty training). It is important to remember that we need to choose rewards based on the preferences of the person and the difficulty of the task. An adult example of this, which always helps to understand that we all work based on the premise of positive reinforcement, is that we get our normal paycheck for completing our normal day-to-day work tasks and we get bonuses or paid overtime for completing tasks and projects which are beyond our normal job-description or workday. The use of positive reinforcement is very common and can be very effective if used correctly.

Negative Reinforcement
Negative Reinforcement, by definition, is the removal of an aversive stimuli in response to a behavior which leads to an increase in the likelihood that behavior will occur again. In more simple terms, we do something good when something we don’t like is happening to get that bad thing to go away which makes us want to to do that good thing again the next time we encounter the bad thing. My favorite example of this from adult life was given to me by a colleague: twice a year on NPR they suspend regular programming to conduct their pledge drive. The pledge drive activities (and discontinuation of normal programming) is the aversive stimuli. We call in and make donations (good behavior) so they can reach their goal and stop the pledge drive. The use of negative reinforcement is less common than positive reinforcement, but it is something used often and is fairly effective.

Positive Punishment
By definition, positive punishment is the application of an aversive stimuli in response to a behavior which leads to a decrease in the likelihood that behavior will occur again. More simply put, if we do something and something bad happens as a result, we are less likely to engage in the behavior again. An example of this is speeding. If we are caught speeding we will get pulled over, get a ticket, have to go to court, pay a fine and possibly attend traffic school. This consequence decreases the likelihood that we will speed again. As many of us know, based on this example alone, positive punishment is not always very effective in the long term (depending on the behavior and the consequence) because the longer we go without getting a ticket the more likely we are to engage in speeding behavior again. That is why positive punishment should not be used often, and we should try to focus on the behaviors we do want not the ones we don’t (i.e. reinforcement, not punishment).

Negative Punishment
Negative punishment, by definition, is the removal of an enjoyable stimuli in response to a behavior which leads to the decreased likelihood the behavior will occur again. More simply said, if we do something bad something we like is taken away which decreases the likelihood that we will do that bad thing again. An example of this is taking the car keys away from your teenager if they don’t get good grades, which hopefully results in them stepping up and getting better grades so they can continue driving. As with positive punishment, negative punishment may be effective in the short term but in the long term this usually isn’t the best way to get someone to do the right thing. I always encourage parents and fellow teachers to think of ways we can focus on what we want kids to do, not what we don’t. For instance, rather than taking the keys away for bad grades, maybe they can earn driving time by the number of assignments they complete with a B or better.

Hopefully this discussion has given you a little food for thought in terms of the way we are using certain phrases and the way in which you are reinforcing or punishing behaviors. Please let me know if you have any questions or need any clarification or if you have an example which has or has not worked and you’re seeking some advice.