Welcome to this week’s RBT Task list overview. Today, we will continue to discuss reinforcement by going in a little deeper to positive and negative reinforcement.
Often written as RF, we know a reinforcer is always used when you want to make a behavior stronger, so basically you want that appropriate behavior to happen more often; but what makes it positive or negative?
Let’s get started…..
What is it? Remember in elementary school, when we were first introduced to the plus sign (+) for addition and the minus sign (-) for subtraction, it works the same way in reinforcement. Those same signs, (+) and (-) were taught to us again as we went to chemistry in high school, but now the signs were called positive (+) and negative(-)
When you add (+) something to the environment to increase the likelihood of a behavior happening again in the future, its called positive reinforcement. When you take away, or subtract, something from the environment to increase the likelihood of a behavior happening again, it’s called negative reinforcement. Its that simple!
Example: Positive– Angela gives her son $1 each time he cleans the bathroom without being asked. (The $1 is added to the environment, to increase the chances that her son will continue to clean the bathroom without being asked.) Negative– Cliff enjoys eating spicy nachos at the ball game, spicy nachos have given Cliff heartburn in the past. Cliff now takes antacid to avoid getting heartburn, (Removing the heartburn, increases the likelihood that Cliff will enjoy nachos in the future) Check out this video of RF+(-)
As you study.…As you study for the exam*, see if you can identify what makes the reinforcement positive or negative by spotting what is being added or taken away from the environment to increase a behavior.
Remember to subscribe, like and comment on this article…. and don’t forget to check out our Facebook page.
Until next week, Happy ABAing.
P.S Go to BossLadyBLOOMS RBT Exam Tutoring to schedule a live, one on one tutoring session, each session comes with at least one free practice exam.*
#bossLadyBlooms 
Love it! On point!
LikeLike
I love that you make this simple, for everyone to understand.
LikeLike
This is a way of thinking I haven’t really utilized in the past, but it makes a lot of sense. I could use some of that “negative reinforcement” that Cliff found! LOL!
LikeLike
This makes a lot of sense! I love how this was explained as I was getting the negative one confused a bit but get it now!
LikeLike
Great post! I love that you did try to make it super long, keeping it strictly on point. I do think that for some people negativity works better than positivity and the other way around. I am a strictly positive reinforcement personality, negative maes me feel endlessly disencouraged and sad
LikeLike
Great information and clearly explained! I believe people should read and know this stuff!
LikeLike
It is good to recognize the differences between these two and how they work. It can be so easy to go with negative reinforcement and not enough positive reinforcement.
LikeLike
Love this! As an educator I understand how important positive reinforcements are.
LikeLike
You have a point here, it’s good to refresh and reflect. And it’s good to learn how positive and negative reinforcement can be applied to our lives. Indeed, Math is part of our everyday lives.
LikeLike