Reinforcement is defined as “the action of strengthening or encouraging something.” Many people think reinforcement means providing rewards, especially for good behavior. While this is true, ...

Some of the most common tools parents and teachers use for managing children’s behaviors are rewards and punishments. While these methods tend to lose effectiveness as a child ages, there are times ...

I was recently talking to a business owner who has really been struggling to get ahead. They have been working 80-plus hours a week and burning the candle at both ends. They weren’t sleeping, they ...

Another one of my pet peeves is the fact that many people – civilians and scientists alike – use the phrase “negative reinforcement” to mean “punishment.” The two are not at all the same; in fact, ...

Contingent: depending on something else that might or might not happen; likely, but not certain to happen (e.g., plans to go to the beach are contingent on the weather) (From Merriam-Webster) Positive ...

One of the great misnomers of our sport is the term "negative split," which means running the second half of a race or training run faster than the first half. But running a negative split is hardly a ...

A central question in the interspecific human/animal relationship is how domestic animals perceive humans as a significant element of their environment. In this study, we tested the hypothesis that ...

Operant conditioning is a theory that explains how behaviors are influenced by their consequences or results. It’s often used today to help people adopt new behaviors or change old habits. If you’ve ...