Positive reinforcement—you’ve likely heard the term before, but what does it really mean? In short, it’s the process of encouraging desired behaviours by adding something pleasant or rewarding after that behaviour occurs. You know, like giving your dog a treat when she correctly follows a command or praising your child when they pick up their toys.
While that sounds simple enough, positive reinforcement is rooted in complex psychological principles of learning and motivation. It all started in the early 1900s when researchers like Edward Thorndike and B.F. Skinner began experimenting with how rewards and consequences influence behaviour. They found that behaviours followed by a positive outcome tend to increase in frequency—thus, the concept of positive reinforcement was born!
In this comprehensive guide, we’ll dig into:
- The origins and fundamental principles behind positive reinforcement
- The different types of rewards and reinforcement schedules you can use
- How to effectively implement positive reinforcement techniques for training kids, employees, and pets!
- The psychology and neuroscience explaining why positive reinforcement changes behaviour
- Common mistakes and misconceptions to avoid
- Tips and best practices for getting optimal results
My goal is to cover all the ins and outs of this powerful yet often misunderstood concept. Positive reinforcement with the right approach can work wonders on motivation, learning, and behaviour change.
History and Origins of Positive Reinforcement
To understand where positive reinforcement came from, we have to go back to the early 1900s and the pioneering work of two researchers, Edward Thorndike and B.F. Skinner.
Edward Thorndike was one of the first to study learning in animals scientifically. Through his experiments with cats escaping from puzzle boxes, he developed the “law of effect,” which stated that:
Behaviors followed by satisfactory outcomes are strengthened and likely to reoccur, while behaviors followed by annoying outcomes are discouraged or avoided.
This simple idea that consequences influence future behaviours laid the foundation for the principles of reinforcement.
B.F. Skinner later built upon Thorndike’s law of effect in his theory of operant conditioning. Skinner conducted extensive research on reinforcement schedules and how they shape behaviour. His famous “Skinner box” enabled precise experimentation by delivering food to rats when they pressed a lever.
Skinner identified four types of reinforcement:
- Positive reinforcement: Adding a positive/desirable stimulus to encourage behaviour
- Negative reinforcement: Removing an unpleasant stimulus to encourage behaviour
- Positive punishment: Adding an undesirable stimulus to discourage behaviour
- Negative punishment: Removing a desirable stimulus to discourage behaviour
Of these four tools, Skinner found that positive reinforcement produced the most rapid and lasting results, especially when combined with an intermittent reinforcement schedule.
Throughout the mid-1900s, operant conditioning and positive reinforcement principles were increasingly applied to human psychology and education. Researchers found positive reinforcement to be highly effective at:
- Shaping behaviour in children
- Improving student learning outcomes
- Increasing work performance among employees
So, in summary:
- Positive reinforcement emerged from Thorndike’s law of effect and Skinner’s operant conditioning research
- It involves adding a pleasant stimulus to encourage desired behaviours
- Skinner identified it as the most powerful method for producing behavior changes
- By the mid-1900s, it was being widely applied to improve human behaviour and learning
Today, positive reinforcement remains one of the most well-researched and utilized strategies across psychology, education, business, and many other fields.
How Positive Reinforcement Works
The core premise is simple—you reinforce a desired behaviour by introducing a positive or pleasant stimulus immediately after that behaviour occurs. This positive reinforcement makes the behaviour more likely to be repeated.
But some key factors influence how well positive reinforcement works:
The Timing of Reinforcement
- Reinforcement needs to happen immediately after the target behaviour
- The quicker, the better!
- Even a few seconds of delay weakens the association
The Type of Reinforcer
There are 4 main categories of reinforcers:
- Natural reinforcers– Inherently rewarding outcomes of the behaviour itself
- e.g. feeling full after eating, feeling refreshed after sleeping
- Social reinforcers– Verbal or nonverbal approval
- e.g. praise, smiles, high-fives
- Tangible reinforcers– Physical rewards
- e.g. food treats, toys, money, gifts
- Token reinforcers– Symbols of value that can be exchanged
- e.g. points, tickets, gold stars
The most effective reinforcer depends on the situation, individual, and behaviour targeted.
The Reinforcement Schedule
The schedule defines how often and under what circumstances reinforcement is delivered. There are two main types of schedules:
Continuous schedules reinforce every single instance of the behaviour. These are great for initially teaching a new behaviour but are hard to maintain long-term.
The schedule defines how often and when reinforcement is delivered. There are 5 types of schedules:
- Continuous – Reinforcing every single instance of the behaviour.
- Fixed ratio – Reinforcing after a set number of occurrences.
- Fixed interval – Reinforcing after a specified time period.
- Variable ratio – Reinforcing after a random number of occurrences.
- Variable interval – Reinforcing after a random period.
Varying the schedule helps prevent satiation—where the reinforcer starts losing power.
Individualizing the Strategy
While these guidelines provide a general framework, effectively using positive reinforcement requires catering your approach to the unique individual and situation.
- Observe carefully to determine the best reinforcers
- Get input from the person on their preferences
- Monitor progress and adjust accordingly
The art is finding the right reinforcer at the right time and using the most effective schedule for that person and behaviour.
When applied thoughtfully, positive reinforcement can work wonders. But as with any tool, it can also be misused or overused. We’ll dive more into best practices and potential pitfalls later on.
First, look at real-world examples of positive reinforcement in action across different contexts. That will help cement how these principles get applied.
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Applications and Effectiveness of Positive Reinforcement
Now that we’ve covered the key principles behind positive reinforcement let’s look at how it gets applied in the real world and why it tends to be so effective.
Positive reinforcement is used in many different contexts, including:
Animal Training
Animal trainers rely heavily on positive reinforcement. When a dog successfully executes a trick like “shake” or “roll over,” they receive a food treat or favourite toy immediately after as positive reinforcement.
This strengthens the dog’s association between the trick and the reward, making them more likely to repeat that behaviour in hopes of getting another treat.
Over time, the delivery of treats is shifted to an intermittent schedule to maintain the training. However, positive reinforcement remains central to the animal’s continued motivation and progress.
Education
Teachers use positive reinforcement in the classroom to encourage good behaviour and academic effort. This might involve:
- Praise for raising a hand instead of shouting out
- Stickers or points on a chart for turning in homework
- Extra recess time when the whole class shows good listening
School-wide token economies with points or fake money that can be earned and exchanged for prizes are also popular reinforcement systems.
Studies show that positive reinforcement in education:
- Improves student motivation and attention
- Reduces problematic behaviors
- Supports better academic outcomes
Business
In the workplace, positive reinforcement drives higher employee performance. Managers can reinforce desired behaviours like strong sales numbers or teamwork through:
- Bonuses and commission structures
- Employee recognition programs
- Opportunities for exciting/high-profile work
- Verbal praise and appreciation
Research reveals that employees who receive positive reinforcement are more engaged, productive, and loyal to the company.
Habit Formation
Positive reinforcement is also effective for self-administered behaviour change. Want to develop a new habit? Add a reward!
For example, you might:
- Give yourself a tasty treat when you stick to your new workout routine
- Setup a point system for each day you write in your journal
- Purchase yourself a gift once you’ve meditated 20 days in a row
You can instill new habits faster by associating the target behaviour with positive reinforcement.
Marketing & Social Media
Many popular social media platforms leverage positive reinforcement through notifications, likes, and comments to keep users returning.
Sites like Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter have turned positive social reinforcement into big business by offering validation and feel-good engagement with each post.
Brands and marketers also apply positive reinforcement when they offer discounts, freebies, or loyalty perks to encourage repeat business.
So, in summary, positive reinforcement has wide-ranging uses across many contexts due to its effectiveness in shaping behaviour through rewards and positive outcomes.
Why Does It Work So Well?
There are several vital reasons why positive reinforcement tends to produce such strong results:
- It capitalizes on people’s natural motivations and gives clear incentives
- The association between behaviour and reward is easy to understand
- It feels good! Positive reinforcement maintains morale
- It creates positive habits that persist even without ongoing rewards
- It’s more acceptable than punishment, which feels coercive
Of course, there can also be downsides if positive reinforcement is misused or overdone.
Best Practices for Implementation
Positive reinforcement is a simple concept, but executing it effectively takes thought and care. Let’s go over some tips and best practices to get optimal results.
Choosing Reinforcers
- Observe to identify current motivators and preferences
- Experiment with different reinforcers and get feedback
- Personalize to each individual
- Use variety to prevent satiation
- Make it meaningful – quality over quantity
Avoid reinforcers that undermine health or values. For kids, minimize food treats and excessive screen time rewards.
Delivering Reinforcement
- Be enthusiastic! – This amplifies the impact
- Explain the reason for the reinforcement
- Reward approximations of the target behaviour, not just perfection
- Use reinforcement judiciously – intermittent schedules work best long-term
- Pair with descriptive praise highlighting the positive behaviour
Tracking and Monitoring
- Document instances of reinforcement and progress
- Communicate with the individual regularly
- Adjust strategy based on feedback and observed results
- Fade out gradually as behaviour becomes habitual
Avoiding Common Pitfalls
While powerful when used correctly, positive reinforcement does come with some risks and downsides to be aware of:
- Offering reinforcement for a problem behaviour by accident
- Creating expectations that rewards will be given every time
- Breeding emotional dependence on external validation
- Undermining intrinsic motivation to perform tasks
- Rewarding low-effort work or mediocre performance
- Emphasizing quantity over quality
- Causing frustration when reinforcement stops
The key is to remain vigilant, reinforce authentically, communicate expectations clearly, and fade out rewards gradually when feasible.
Special Considerations for Children
Kids respond exceptionally well to positive reinforcement. But parents should keep these tips in mind:
- Praise the process – e.g. effort, creativity – not just outcomes
- Emphasize growth and improvement – not comparison to others
- Offer encouragement along with tangible rewards
- Avoid excessive material rewards that foster entitlement
- Pair rewards with family quality time when possible
Tips for Using Positive Reinforcement with Children
Children respond extremely well to positive reinforcement. Here are some tips for parents looking to encourage good behaviour in kids:
- Catch them being good – Reinforce positive behaviours as often as possible—things like sharing toys, using manners, and completing chores without being asked.
- Be specific with praise – Highlight exact behaviours and progress. “You picked up all your toys by yourself!”
- Use encouragement to Provide encouraging words along with any tangible rewards. This supports intrinsic motivation.
- Consider progress charts – Visual charts allow kids to earn stickers or marks towards a larger reward. Great for habits.
- Offer small rewards – Stickers, points, special activities, and treats work well for younger kids. Avoid overdoing sugary foods.
- Leverage privileges – Gaining special privileges like extra tablet time, later bedtime, or fun outings is powerful for older kids.
- Reward consistency – Reinforce behaviours done consistently, not just once. This develops habits.
- Pair with quality time – Deliver reinforcement and one-on-one parent time for a double impact.
- Explain connections – Help kids understand why they are being reinforced to support learning.
- Fade rewards over time – Slowly shift to more intermittent reinforcement as behaviours become habitual.
Applying these tips consistently can motivate kids and instill family values! But patience and persistence are key – changing behaviour takes time.
Maximizing Results at Work
Applying positive reinforcement effectively in the workplace means:
- Reinforcing behaviours (e.g. teamwork, initiative) rather than just outcomes
- Making rewards achievable and meaningful – not trivial or unattainable
- Spreading reinforcement widely, not just to top performers
- Allocating some rewards to teams rather than just individuals
- Soliciting employee input to identify the best reinforcers
The right positive reinforcement strategy can yield huge dividends in performance, but only with careful, customized implementation. Progress requires vigilance!
The Psychology and Neuroscience of Positive Reinforcement
Psychology: Motivation and Learning
Psychologists agree that positive reinforcement works primarily by enhancing motivation. It taps into our innate drive to seek out pleasure and avoid pain.
When a behaviour is consistently linked to positive outcomes through reinforcement, our brains start to associate that behaviour with rewarding feelings. This motivates us to repeat the behaviour in anticipation of more positive results.
Positive reinforcement also utilizes key learning principles:
- It teaches through a clear association between behaviour and benefit
- Rewards create strong memories linked to the reinforced behaviour
- Intermittent reinforcement develops persistent habits
In essence, by motivating and teaching simultaneously, positive reinforcement moulds behaviours and habits exceptionally well.
Neuroscience: The Reward System
Zooming into the brain itself reveals the neuroscience under the hood.
Multiple studies show that positive reinforcement activates the brain’s reward system:
- It stimulates the release of the neurotransmitter dopamine
- Dopamine triggers feelings of pleasure, enjoyment, and motivation
- With repetition, dopamine response shifts to cue/context that signals reward
This dopamine-fueled reward system generates the positive emotions and drive that make positive reinforcement powerful.
Several critical brain structures are involved:
- Ventral tegmental area (VTA) – source of dopamine
- Nucleus accumbens – processes anticipation of rewards
- The prefrontal cortex – connects rewards to contexts and cues
MRI scans reveal increased activity in these regions when positive reinforcement occurs. The brain lights up!
Over time, the cue or context alone (e.g. the sight of a treat bag) becomes sufficient to trigger dopamine release and motivate behaviour. This is how powerful habits form.
Emotion and Mood
In addition to motivation and reward, positive reinforcement boosts mood. The psychological effects of receiving a reward extend beyond the moment.
Research shows that consistent positive reinforcement:
- Increases subjective feelings of happiness
- Reduces stress and enhances relaxation
- Boosts confidence, optimism, and resilience
- Promotes curiosity and willingness to explore
These emotional benefits help explain the added performance gains seen with positive reinforcement. Good mood = greater motivation and effort!
Downsides: Addiction and Dependence
The brain’s sensitivity to positive reinforcement contributes to the risk of addiction. As behaviours can be reinforced positively, so can unhealthy or unproductive habits.
The desire for the dopamine hit triggered by drugs, gambling, porn, social media, or video games can hijack the brain’s reward circuits through positive reinforcement over time.
This points to the importance of implementing positive reinforcement judiciously and fading rewards gradually. We don’t want to breed psychological dependence. The goal is autonomous, intrinsically driven behaviour.
Addressing Common Misconceptions
Given how often positive reinforcement gets used, many misconceptions exist about how it works. Let’s demystify some common myths!
Myth: Positive reinforcement is the same as bribery
- Reality: Bribery involves paying for a behaviour before it happens. Positive reinforcement involves rewarding a behaviour after it occurs.
- Example: Offering your child $5 to clean their room (bribery) vs. praising your child for cleaning their room (positive reinforcement).
Myth: Positive reinforcement spoils children/employees
- Reality: Used judiciously and faded gradually, positive reinforcement teaches positive habits and skills. The rewards are temporary motivators, not creating entitlement.
Myth: Punishment is more effective at changing behaviour
- Reality: While punishment can discourage unwanted behaviours, positive reinforcement is better at teaching and motivating new desired behaviours. Both have a place, but focusing on rewards yields better outcomes.
Myth: Positive reinforcement loses effectiveness over time
- Reality: This can happen, but it is avoidable. The key is varying reinforcers, intermittent reinforcement schedules, and fading rewards once a behaviour is habitual.
Myth: You should reward every good behaviour
- Reality: Continuous reward schedules often backfire by undermining intrinsic motivation. Interval or ratio-based reinforcement works best for most behaviours.
Myth: Positive reinforcement doesn’t work for certain people
- Reality: While individuals respond better to specific reinforcers and schedules, positive reinforcement works across all personality types when applied strategically. It may just take some experimentation.
The key is using positive reinforcement thoughtfully. While not a cure-all, applied with care, it is a powerful tool for motivation and training. I hope busting these myths helps clarify what positive reinforcement can and can’t do.
The Risks of Overusing Positive Reinforcement
While powerful, positive reinforcement also carries risks if overused. Let’s look at some potential downsides to be aware of.
- Undermining intrinsic motivation – External rewards can sometimes reduce internal drive. Children may lose interest in an activity once rewards are removed.
- Rewarding low effort – Indiscriminate reinforcement trains people to exert minimal effort to get a prize. Quality and progress suffer.
- Creating reward dependence – Heavy reliance on tangible rewards can breed emotional dependence where the behaviour is abandoned without ongoing treats/prizes.
- Prioritizing quantity over quality – Reinforcing frequency of behaviour rather than skill gained overlooks progress on competence.
- Generating unrealistic expectations – Continuous rewards teach people to expect a prize every time, even when unwarranted.
- Frustration when reinforcement stops – Fading out rewards can cause motivation to drop if not handled gradually.
Mitigating these risks requires:
- Judicious use of rewards – intermittent reinforcement is best
- Rewards for progress, not just participation
- Fading out rewards over time
- Providing encouragement along with prizes
- Praising effort and improvement, not just outcomes
Positive reinforcement is highly versatile when applied conscientiously. Like any tool, it can harm if misused. But armed with this knowledge, you can leverage its power while avoiding the pitfalls!
Conclusion
And there you have it – a comprehensive guide to positive reinforcement and how to harness it effectively! We’ve covered the entire landscape, from its psychological roots to real-world applications.
The key takeaway is that positive reinforcement motivates behaviour through consistent rewards and positive outcomes. While not a cure-all, applied strategically, it is an invaluable tool for motivating people and animals, increasing learning, developing habits, and shaping behaviour for the better.
Hopefully, this piece has clarified what positive reinforcement can and can’t do and practical tips for getting results. Thanks for joining me on this rewarding journey!
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Some common examples include:
- Giving a child a sticker for cleaning their room
- Praising an employee for excellent customer service
- Rewarding a dog with a treat for obeying a command
- Awarding points or badges for exercising regularly
Negative reinforcement removes an unpleasant stimulus to encourage behaviour, while positive reinforcement adds a pleasant stimulus. Punishment also discourages behaviour but does so by adding an unpleasant stimulus (positive punishment) or removing a pleasant one (negative punishment).
The most effective rewards depend on the individual and context. Praise and social reinforcement are widely effective. Small toys, treats, and privileges tend to work well for children. For adults, money, gift cards, and days off are common reinforcers. Choosing personalized, meaningful rewards usually produces the best results.
For new behaviours, a continuous schedule works best initially. Once the behaviour is established, shift to intermittent reinforcement provided for some, but not all, instances. An unpredictable, variable schedule helps prevent the rewards from losing their power.
Yes, if rewards are given accidentally for problem behaviours. The timing and contingency between behaviour and reinforcement must be clear, direct, and immediate to get the intended learning effect.
Absolutely. While stickers less influence adults, positive reinforcement through monetary bonuses, praise, leadership opportunities, etc., can successfully encourage workplace performance, habit formation, and other adult behaviours. The rewards need to be meaningful to the individual.
For pets, use small treats as reinforcers. Deliver immediately after the desired response. Use a continuous schedule for new behaviours, then shift to intermittent reinforcement once it is learned. Slowly increase the behaviour requirements and phase out treats over time. Avoid inadvertently reinforcing problem behaviours.
Resources
Comparison of Various Forms of Reinforcement: Positive reinforcement in the form of preferred items produced higher levels of compliance and lower levels of problem behavior compared to negative reinforcement. Stacy L. Carter, 2010, Journal of applied behavior analysis
Positive Reinforcement Training in Primates: Positive reinforcement training can be used to promote species‐typical or beneficial behavior patterns and facilitate systematic analyses of psychosocial factors on behavior. S. Schapiro, J. E. Perlman, Brock A. Boudreau, 2001, American Journal of Primatology
Negative Effects of Positive Reinforcement: On a practical level, positive reinforcement can lead to deleterious effects and is implicated in personal and societal problems. M. Perone, 2003, The Behavior Analyst
Teaching the Distinction between Positive and Negative Reinforcement: Focusing on negative and positive reinforcement helps to isolate the kinds of contingency changes that might be made to bring about behavior change. P. N. Chase, 2006, The Behavior Analyst
Pareen Sehat MC, RCC
Pareen’s career began in Behaviour Therapy, this is where she developed a passion for Cognitive Behavioural Therapy approaches. Following a Bachelor of Arts with a major in Psychology she pursued a Master of Counselling. Pareen is a Registered Clinical Counsellor (RCC) with the BC Association of Clinical Counsellors. She specializes in CBT and Lifespan Integrations approaches to anxiety and trauma. She has been published on major online publications such as - Yahoo, MSN, AskMen, PsychCentral, Best Life Online, and more.
