The main difference between reinforcement and punishment is that reinforcement makes a target behavior more likely to happen again while punishment makes the behavior less likely to happen again. Show Reinforcement and punishment are often used as parenting tools to modify children’s behavior. Let’s review the difference between positive reinforcement and negative reinforcement, and the difference in outcomes between them. Table of ContentsIn behavioral psychology, reinforcement is the introduction of a favorable condition that will make the desired behavior more likely to happen, continue or strengthen in the future1. Because the favorable condition acts as a reward, reinforcement is a reward-based operant conditioning. There are two types of reinforcement: positive reinforcement and negative reinforcement. These two types of reinforcement can be confusing because the technical terms used in psychology is often misrepresented in pop culture. As technical parlance, positive refers to adding a factor while negative refers to removing a factor. But positive and negative do not represent the quality of the factor being added or removed. That factor can be pleasant or unpleasant. For instance, positive can be adding something unpleasant resulting in unpleasant feelings, while negative can be removing something unpleasant resulting in pleasant feelings. So, remember that positive and negative refer to adding and removing something, not to the quality of the added/removed factor or the resulted feelings. Related: Classical Vs Operant Conditioning What is positive and negative reinforcement
The 2 types of reinforcement are:
Positive reinforcement is adding a pleasant stimulus to enhance a behavior. Here are some positive reinforcement examples.
Negative ReinforcementNegative reinforcement is removing an aversive stimulus to enhance a behavior. Here are some negative reinforcement examples.
Positive Punishment vs Negative PunishmentWhile the goal of reinforcement is to reinforce the desired behavior, the goal of punishment is to make an undesired behavior less likely to happen, continue or strengthen in the future. As with reinforcement, the technical meanings of positive and negative punishment refer to adding or removing a factor to obtain the results. They do not refer to the quality or impact of the punishment. What Is Positive And Negative Punishment
The 2 types of punishment are:
Positive punishment is adding an aversive stimulus to deter a behavior.
Negative PunishmentNegative punishment is removing a pleasant stimulus to deter a behavior.
Reinforcement vs PunishmentBoth reinforcement and punishment can modify behavior. The difference between them is that reinforcement aims to increase target behavior while punishment aims to decrease behavior. These definitions differ from the way we use it in daily life. Normally, we use “reinforce” in a speech to mean “emphasize”, while “punish” to mean “hurting”. Here are the definitions and difference of reinforcement and punishment in psychology:
Often times, decreasing an undesired behavior can also be achieved by increasing another desired behavior. For example, both punishing for being late for school and rewarding for being on time can incentivize a child to be on time. Because of the negative side effects of punishment (in the traditional sense, i.e. introducing unpleasant stimulus), parents should practice positive parenting. However, parents should also be careful not to overuse reinforcements because too much of a good thing can be a bad thing. Schedules of ReinforcementReinforcement and punishment are usually applied more than once to establish a new behavior. When and how stimuli are applied are called schedules of reinforcement2. There are 4 types of simple schedules:
Different types of reinforcing schedules generate different results. Among the four simple schedules, variable ratio schedule generates responses that are most resistant to extinction. References
While definitions may vary, learning is often thought of as a relatively permanent change in behavior due to experience. It is influenced by various biological, cultural, social, and emotional variables. Several different theories have emerged to explain how people learn. Some of the main theories of learning include:
This article explores these learning theories, including how each one explains the learning process. During the early part of the twentieth century, many psychologists became increasingly interested in turning psychology into a more scientific endeavor. These psychologists, known as behaviorists, argued that psychology needed to study only things that could be measured and quantified to be more scientific. A few different behavioral theories emerged to explain how and why people behave the way they do. Behavioral theories are centered on the environmental influences on the learning process. Environmental influences include associations, reinforcements, and punishments.
Classical conditioning suggests that learning occurs when an association is formed between a previously neutral stimulus and a naturally occurring stimulus. In experiments conducted by Russian physiologist Ivan Pavlov, a natural stimulus (food) was paired with the sound of a bell. The dogs would naturally salivate in response to food, but after multiple associations, the dogs would salivate to the sound of the bell alone. In classical conditioning:
Operant conditioning is a type of associative learning that involves strengthening or weakening a behavior by using reinforcement or punishment. Operant conditioning was first described by the behavioral psychologist B.F. Skinner. It is sometimes also referred to as Skinnerian conditioning and instrumental conditioning. Skinner believed that classical conditioning simply could not account for all types of learning and was more interested in learning how the consequences of actions influence behaviors. Like classical conditioning, operant conditioning relies on forming associations. In operant conditioning, however, associations are made between a behavior and the consequences of that behavior. In operant conditioning:
When a behavior leads to a desirable consequence, it becomes more likely that the behavior will be repeated in the future. The behavior becomes less likely if the actions lead to a negative outcome. The cognitive approach to learning focuses on how attention, memory, and information processing contribute to the acquisition of knowledge. One of the best-known cognitive learning theories is Piaget's theory of cognitive development. Piaget described four stages of intellectual development that occur in childhood. These four stages explain how a child learns about the world and processes information.
The constructivist approach to learning characterizes learners as active participants in the process who play a role in constructing their knowledge. Constructivist theories of learning were influenced by the work of psychologist Lev Vygotsky.
Vygotsky's sociocultural theory stressed the importance of collaboration and social interaction in the learning process. Two important concepts of constructivist learning theories are the more knowledgeable other and the zone of proximal development:
Psychologist Albert Bandura suggested that much of learning takes place through observation. Children observe the actions of those around them, particularly caregivers and siblings, and then imitate these behaviors. In social learning:
In his well-known Bobo doll experiment, Bandura revealed just how easily children could be led to imitate even negative actions. Children who watched a video of an adult beating up a large inflatable doll were likelier to copy those actions when given a chance.
Bandura noted that learning something does not necessarily result in a behavior change. Children frequently learn new things through observation but might not engage in such behaviors until they need or are motivated to utilize the information. This learning theory focuses on learning via hands-on experience. The theory was formally introduced by psychologist David Kolb but was influenced by the work of other theorists, including Jean Piaget and John Dewey. According to Kolb, there are four stages in experiential learning. The first two, abstract conceptualization and concrete experience, relate to how people grasp experiences. The final two, active experimentation and reflective observation, refer to how people transform experiences. Such theories are typically not used in isolation. Instead, modern educators and psychologists draw on information from a variety of theories to develop effective educational strategies and psychological interventions that help people acquire new skills and knowledge.
For example, while behavioral approaches are no longer as dominant as they once were, they still play an important role in educational and therapeutic settings. For example, teachers continue to use behavioral strategies such as positive reinforcement and token economies to help shape the learning process.
The goal of learning more about these learning theories is to help adapt educational and therapeutic interventions to best suit an individual's needs. All learners are different, so drawing on various approaches, such as incorporating behavioral, constructivist, and experiential strategies can help maximize learning opportunities and improve educational outcomes.
Behavioral, cognitive, constructivist, social, and experiential learning theories are among psychology's best-known and most influential. Such theories have played a part in influencing education, therapy, and parenting approaches. |