Negative reinforcement and punishment9/16/2023 ![]() ![]() But positive is a word that means different things to different people. You can submit questions or topics to Dr.Being a positive coach is a great thing to strive for. Berney's podcast, "The Mental Breakdown,” on iTunes and YouTube. Berney, a licensed psychologist with Psychological Associates of Central Florida in Lakeland, is a national speaker and the co-author of "Handbook for Raising an Emotionally Healthy Child." Listen to Dr. Until that time, however, when properly used, reinforcements and punishments can be an effective means for shaping a young child’s behavior.ĭr. Once kids reach this stage of development, a different set of parenting skills will be needed. Unfortunately, many of the behaviors we witness in teens and preteens do not respond to reinforcement or punishment. Or they will start to accept ideas and beliefs that are in direct opposition to those of the family. As any parent of a middle schooler can attest, it seems as though preteens will do something simply because they are not supposed to. As kids mature, however, there are many other things that maintain a behavior. When used as intended, the reinforcement/punishment system can be an effective way of teaching young children what will and what will not be tolerated. But remember, it is punishment only if the behavior decreases. The goal is to take away a preferred item or activity with hopes that the child will stop misbehaving. Time out or being grounded are very common strategies that parents use to decrease undesirable behaviors. One of the most common forms of behavior management is negative punishment, or the removal of something with the goal of decreasing a behavior. Spankings are probably the most common form of positive punishment, though giving a child extra chores or more homework may also be considered positive punishments. Positive punishment, though it may sound odd, means that you are giving or doing something with the hopes of decreasing a behavior. On the flip side of things, we have punishment, or the need to decrease the frequency of a behavior. Have you ever put your child on restrictions for a week, only to shorten the punishment because she was doing so well with following the rules? Well, you are taking away the punishment with the hopes that she will continue to follow the rules. ![]() You may be thinking, “When would I ever use that strategy?” In reality, you use it all the time. Negative reinforcement means that we are taking away something with the hopes that it will increase the frequency of a behavior. For example, we might give a child a treat when he does what we ask him to do with the hopes that he will keep doing what we asked him to do. Positive reinforcement means that you give the child something to increase the frequency of a behavior. So, when we put them all together, our definitions should make sense. That is, positive means that you are adding something, while negative means that you are removing something. Next, we need to differentiate between the terms “positive” and “negative.” Think of these words from the perspective of mathematics. So, anything that increases a behavior is a reinforcer, and anything that decreases a behavior is a punisher. Punishment means that a behavior will decrease in frequency, while reinforcement (like rewards) increases the frequency of a behavior. To differentiate these four concepts, let’s first differentiate the terms. Though terms like negative reinforcement and positive punishment may sound like oxymorons, the terms make sense with a little clarification. Just as we have positive reinforcement, we also have negative reinforcement, positive punishment, and negative punishment. ![]() We have all heard of “positive reinforcement,” but this is just one part of the reinforcement/punishment system. To use them correctly, though, we must first understand the different types of reinforcement and punishment. While these methods tend to lose effectiveness as a child ages, there are times when they can be a useful strategy for gaining behavioral control. Some of the most common tools parents and teachers use for managing children’s behaviors are rewards and punishments. ![]()
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