Reinforcement in psychology refers to the use of providing something or taking it away to achieve a desired behavior. The principle of reinforcement suggests that when we follow behavior with pleasant consequences, that behavior is likely to be repeated. Additionally, behavior followed by unpleasant consequences may be less likely to be repeated. 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, while negative reinforcement is the removal of a stimulus which increases the likelihood of a behavior occurring again. Primary reinforcement refers to a stimulus that is naturally rewarding, such as food or water, while secondary reinforcement refers to a stimulus that has been associated with a primary reinforcer, such as money or praise.
In operant conditioning, reinforcement involves strengthening an action by associating it with a consequence, causing that action to become more likely to occur again. Reinforcement can be used to increase the likelihood of a desired behavior, such as praising a child for helping clean up their toys, or to decrease the likelihood of an undesired behavior, such as taking away a toy for hitting a sibling. Reinforcement theory argues that human behavior is a result of "contingent consequences" to human actions, and that behavior can be changed for the better and negative behavior can be reinforced away.
