what is reinforcement

Reinforcement is a term used in behavioral psychology and refers to the action of causing a subject to learn to give or to increase the frequency of a desired response. Reinforcement can be positive or negative, and punishment can also be positive or negative. Positive reinforcement is the addition of a stimulus which increases the likelihood of a behavior occurring again in the future. Negative reinforcement is the removal of a stimulus which increases the likelihood of a behavior occurring again in the future. Reinforcement is used in a systematic way that leads to an increased likelihood of desirable behaviors and is the backbone of the entire field of applied behavior analysis (ABA) . ABA is built on B.F. Skinner’s theory of operant conditioning, which is the idea that behavior can be taught by controlling the consequences to actions. The primary way that the teaching is performed is through the use of reinforcement to either increase or decrease the likelihood of a certain behavior occurring the next time a given set of circumstances occur.