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Encyclopedia of Child Behavior and Development pp 1123Cite as

Positive Reinforcement

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Definition

Positive reinforcement involves the increase in the frequency of a behavior as a result of the presentation of a stimulus.

Description

There are many theories founded by psychologists and educators that attempt to explain how people learn. A prevalent theory that has been utilized and researched for over 80 years is operant conditioning. Originated by B. F. Skinner in the 1930s, operant conditioning attempts to define how different types of reinforcers and punishments can strengthen and weaken behaviors.

There are two types of reinforcers that strengthen behavior: positive and negative. Positive reinforcement is a way to encourage a good behavior by providing a constructive reinforcer to the person. These reinforcers increase the odds that the positive behavior will occur again in a similar situation. When using positive reinforcement, it is important for the reinforcer to be preferred or wanted by the person. If not, the person’s behavior is unlikely to change and the...

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References

  1. Ormrod, J. E. (1999). Human learning (3rd ed.). Upper Saddle River, NY: Merrill.

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  2. Plaud, J. J. (2001). Positive reinforcement. Living and Learning, 1, 3.

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  3. Schunk, D. H. (2008). Learning theories: An educational perspective (5th ed.). Upper Saddle River, NY: Pearson.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Educational Psychology, University of Texas at San Antonio, 501 West Durango Blvd., San Antonio, TX, 78207, USA

    Pei-Hsuan Hsieh

Authors
  1. Pei-Hsuan Hsieh
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Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Neurology, Learning and Behavior Center, 230 South 500 East, Suite 100, Salt Lake City, Utah, 84102, USA

    Sam Goldstein Ph.D.

  2. Department of Psychology MS 2C6, George Mason University, Fairfax, VA, 22030, USA

    Jack A. Naglieri Ph.D. (Professor of Psychology) (Professor of Psychology)

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© 2011 Springer Science+Business Media, LLC

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Hsieh, PH. (2011). Positive Reinforcement. In: Goldstein, S., Naglieri, J.A. (eds) Encyclopedia of Child Behavior and Development. Springer, Boston, MA. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-0-387-79061-9_2196

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-0-387-79061-9_2196

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Boston, MA

  • Print ISBN: 978-0-387-77579-1

  • Online ISBN: 978-0-387-79061-9

  • eBook Packages: Behavioral Science

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