Reinforcement

Strengthening a Response

Types of Reinforcers:

*Primary Reinforcers: stimuli that increase the probability of a response because they satisfy a unlearned biological need.

**Examples: Food, Water, and Sex

*Secondary Reinforcers: stimuli that increase the probability of a response because of their learned value.

**Examples: Money and Material Possessions

Types of Reinforcement:

*Positive Reinforcement: adding a stimulus which strengthens a response and makes it more likely to reoccur

**Example: You tickle your baby and he or she smiles, where the smile is the positive reinforcement

*Negative Reinforcement: taking away a stimulus which strengthens a response and makes it more likely to reoccur.

**Example: You pick up a baby in order to stop the crying

Negative Reinforcement vs Punishment

Reinforcement strengthens a behavior while punishment weakens a behavior.

**Premack's Principle: uses a natural occurring high frequency response to reinforce an increase low frequency responses.