This file accompanies a youtube clip made on both + & - Reinforcement as well as + & - Punishment. See www.ePsychVCE.com or my twitter account 'Psyccounting' for link to clip.

1. Reinforcement
• Reinforcement strengthens/
increases likelihood of a
particular response.
• Positive reinforcer is a stimulus
- strengthens the frequency/
likelihood of desired response
by providing pleasant/ satisfying
consequence.
• E.g.. Money (for turning up to
work)
• Thus Positive Reinforcement
involves the delivery of a
positive reinforcer after the
operant response in order to
strengthen the behaviour.

2. Negative Reinforcement
• Negative reinforcement – is a
process which involves the
removal (or avoidance) of an
aversive stimulus which
consequently strengthens
the behaviour (the operant
response)
• E.g. putting up an umbrella
to avoid getting wet hair, if it
works, then the use of the
umbrella has been reinforced
by taking away the aversive
stimulus (wet/messy hair)

3. Punishment
• Involves delivery of an
unpleasant stimulus done in
order to weaken the response or
decrease the probability of the
undesirable behaviour occurring
again over time
Positive Punishment:
• An unpleasant stimulus is
presented in response to a
behaviour in order to weaken the
behaviour.
E.g. a fine for speeding in a school
(40km/h) zone during school

4. Response Cost (Negative Punishment)
• Response cost
(negative punishment):
A valued stimulus is
removed in order to
decrease the targeted
targeted behaviour
E.g. Year 12’s locked out
of their centre due to
lunch time mess, in
order to reduce littering