Positive Reinforcement and Magic The Elements of Behavior Module #2 You have just met "the person of your dreams." You say something witty and charming, and that person laughs and smiles at you. Does this make it more likely you will joke in similar ways when you are with her/him in the future? Sure. This is an example of positive reinforcement. On occasions where that person (but maybe not someone else, say your boss) is present, your rate of "being witty" and joking (behaviors) will increase, if these acts are reinforced by positive attention from that person. Positive reinforcement is an important example of selection by consequences. It looks like this: Positive reinforcement is magic. Well, at least the closest thing we've got. Research indicates that it is perhaps the most important tool for raising children, teaching students, managing performance in organizations, and solving social problems. Reinforcement depends on identifying a reinforcer that is effective with the individual, not always an easy task. Some reinforcers are biologically wired in, like food, water, sex, and maybe affection, but many are learned over the course of a lifetime, like money (a generalized reinforcer). It is also possible for a culture or group to teach its members to associate a biological reinforcer like sex or food with punishment, making life more complex (sometimes there are obvious reasons for these practices; other cases are less clear). And to top it off, some reinforcers--like the biologically-rooted attraction of sugar--may not be healthy for people in modern society where they are too easily available (these situations call for self-management techniques). Only behavior can be reinforced. If a dead man can do it, it's not behavior (see Malott, Whaley, & Malott). Also, each person's reinforcers are different and sometimes idiosyncratic, and vary over time. If presenting something doesn't lead to an increase in behavior, it's not a reinforcer‹at least a potent enough one‹even if you think it should be. If presenting it does lead to increased behavior, it is a reinforcer‹even if you think it shouldn't be! More evidence of a basic scientific principle: people are weird. But that's where the fun comes in. Limitations of this analysis: Much human behavior may depend on "analogues" to positive reinforcement, using "rules" to bridge the gap between behavior and delayed reinforcement. More on this in later modules. In addition, in some situations, other techniques may need to be combined with positive reinforcement to achieve maximum effectiveness‹but the reinforcement piece should ordinarily be primary. Please complete the following: 1. List ten reinforcers (tangible, social, generalized, normal or peculiar) that could effectively change the rate of some of your own behavior:? 2. What behavior of someone else's would you like to see increased? (For now, don't choose a behavior you want to decrease; sometimes you can do this by reinforcing an alternative, but this requires careful analysis.) 3. What kind of reinforcers (from you or anywhere) might lead to an increase in that behavior? 4. Please fill in the boxes below this diagram, giving an example of increasing a behavior using positive reinforcement: For further information, see: Daniels, A. C. (1994). Bringing out the best in people . New York: McGraw-Hill. Malott, R. W., Whaley, D. L., & Malott, M. E. (1993). Elementary principles of behavior (2nd ed.). Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall. If you would like feedback on your answers, provide your email address and click on the submit button! Email Address: Cancel and Return to BFSR Home Page Copyright 1999 Walden Fellowship, Inc.
The Elements of Behavior Module #2
Positive reinforcement is magic. Well, at least the closest thing we've got. Research indicates that it is perhaps the most important tool for raising children, teaching students, managing performance in organizations, and solving social problems. Reinforcement depends on identifying a reinforcer that is effective with the individual, not always an easy task. Some reinforcers are biologically wired in, like food, water, sex, and maybe affection, but many are learned over the course of a lifetime, like money (a generalized reinforcer). It is also possible for a culture or group to teach its members to associate a biological reinforcer like sex or food with punishment, making life more complex (sometimes there are obvious reasons for these practices; other cases are less clear). And to top it off, some reinforcers--like the biologically-rooted attraction of sugar--may not be healthy for people in modern society where they are too easily available (these situations call for self-management techniques).
Only behavior can be reinforced. If a dead man can do it, it's not behavior (see Malott, Whaley, & Malott). Also, each person's reinforcers are different and sometimes idiosyncratic, and vary over time. If presenting something doesn't lead to an increase in behavior, it's not a reinforcer‹at least a potent enough one‹even if you think it should be. If presenting it does lead to increased behavior, it is a reinforcer‹even if you think it shouldn't be! More evidence of a basic scientific principle: people are weird. But that's where the fun comes in.
Limitations of this analysis: Much human behavior may depend on "analogues" to positive reinforcement, using "rules" to bridge the gap between behavior and delayed reinforcement. More on this in later modules. In addition, in some situations, other techniques may need to be combined with positive reinforcement to achieve maximum effectiveness‹but the reinforcement piece should ordinarily be primary. Please complete the following:
1. List ten reinforcers (tangible, social, generalized, normal or peculiar) that could effectively change the rate of some of your own behavior:?
2. What behavior of someone else's would you like to see increased? (For now, don't choose a behavior you want to decrease; sometimes you can do this by reinforcing an alternative, but this requires careful analysis.)
3. What kind of reinforcers (from you or anywhere) might lead to an increase in that behavior?
4. Please fill in the boxes below this diagram, giving an example of increasing a behavior using positive reinforcement:
For further information, see: Daniels, A. C. (1994). Bringing out the best in people . New York: McGraw-Hill.
Malott, R. W., Whaley, D. L., & Malott, M. E. (1993). Elementary principles of behavior (2nd ed.). Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall.
If you would like feedback on your answers, provide your email address and click on the submit button!
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