Reinforcement
Reinforcement
Reinforcement (/ˌriːɪnˈfɔːrsmənt/) is a term used in behavioral psychology to refer to the process of increasing the likelihood or frequency of a specific behavior by providing a stimulus (known as a reinforcer) immediately following that behavior.
Etymology
The term 'reinforcement' originates from the Latin word 'reinforcare', which means 'to strengthen'. In the context of psychology, it was first used by B.F. Skinner, a renowned psychologist who is known for his work on operant conditioning.
Types of Reinforcement
There are two main types of reinforcement: positive reinforcement and negative reinforcement.
- Positive reinforcement involves the addition of a reinforcing stimulus following a behavior that makes it more likely that the behavior will occur again in the future. An example of positive reinforcement might be a teacher giving a student a gold star for good behavior.
- Negative reinforcement involves the removal of an aversive stimulus following a behavior. Negative reinforcement increases the likelihood of a behavior by removing something unpleasant. An example of negative reinforcement might be a parent stopping nagging a child once they have cleaned their room.
Related Terms
- Punishment: A process that decreases the future probability of a response.
- Extinction: The disappearance of a previously learned behavior when the behavior is not reinforced.
- Conditioning: The process of learning associations between environmental events and behavioral responses.
- Operant Conditioning Chamber: A laboratory apparatus used to study animal behavior.
See Also
External links
- Medical encyclopedia article on Reinforcement
- Wikipedia's article - Reinforcement
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