Reinforcers are rewards used to strengthen learning and behavior. For animals, food is an obvious reinforcer (e.g., rewarding a rat with food for pressing a lever). For humans, common reinforcers include stickers, praise, money, and toys.

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Refers to the application of a consequence to strengthen or increase the likelihood of a specific behavior. In addition, reinforcement can be positive or negative. Both positive and negative reinforcement increase the likelihood of a specific behavioral response.

Reinforcement

Spielman, R. M., Jenkins, W. J., & Lovett, M. D. (2020, April 22). Psychology (2nd ed.). OpenStax. https://openstax.org/books/psychology-2e/pages/1-introduction

OpenStax Psychology (2nd ed.) Textbook

- Continuous reinforcement
- Partial reinforcement
- Fixed interval
- Variable interval
- Fixed ratio
- Variable ratio

Types of Reinforcement Schedules

Types of reinforcers to increase certain behaviors include:
- Primary Reinforcers
- Secondary Reinforcers

Types of Reinforcers

In operant conditioning, negative reinforcement is a method used to increase the likelihood of a behavior by removing an undesirable or aversive stimulus after the desired behavior is performed. The removal of the negative stimulus serves as a reward, strengthening the behavior that led to its removal.

Negative Reinforcement

Positive reinforcement refers to when a favorable stimulus is added to increase the chance of a desired behavior occurring. 

Positive Reinforcement

For reinforcement to be effective, the timing of the consequence is critical. The reinforcer should be presented immediately following the target behavior. This prompt delivery helps the subject establish a clear and strong association between their specific action and the subsequent reward, which is essential for strengthening the learning process. For instance, when training a dog to sit, the treat should be given the moment the dog sits.

Immediacy of Reinforcement

A child dislikes doing their chores. To encourage them, their parent says that if the child completes all their chores for the week, they will not have to do their least favorite chore (taking out the trash) the following week. The child begins to complete their chores more consistently. This is an example of:

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