Behavior and consequences
Read consequences by what is added or removed and how behavior changes.
The picture in words
- Positive reinforcement
- Something is added and the behavior increases.
- Negative reinforcement
- Something is removed and the behavior increases.
- Positive punishment
- Something is added and the behavior decreases.
- Negative punishment
- Something is removed and the behavior decreases.
Reading the illustration
A consequence is classified by its observed effect on future behavior. The four scenes are original illustrative examples.
Try a question
Why is stopping the seat-belt beep an example of negative reinforcement when fastening increases?
Show the explanation
Fastening removes the sound, and the action becomes more likely. Removal supplies the negative part; increased behavior supplies the reinforcement part.
Read the sources
- Spielman, R. M., Jenkins, W. J., & Lovett, M. D. (2020). Psychology 2e. OpenStax. https://openstax.org/books/psychology-2e/pages/6-3-operant-conditioningSelected introductory passages inspected