Editing Reinforcement (section)

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{{Short description|Consequence affecting an organism's future behavior}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=October 2017}}
[[File:Skinner box scheme 01.svg|right|thumb|upright=1.2|[[Operant conditioning chamber]] for reinforcement training]]

In [[Behaviorism|behavioral psychology]], '''reinforcement''' refers to consequences that increase the likelihood of an organism's future behavior, typically in the presence of a particular ''[[Antecedent (behavioral psychology)|antecedent stimulus]]''.<ref>[https://dictionary.apa.org/reinforcement Definition of reinforcement from the American Psychological Association] Retrieved on January 30th, 2024</ref> For example, a rat can be trained to push a lever to receive food whenever a light is turned on; in this example, the light is the antecedent stimulus, the lever pushing is the ''[[operant behavior]]'', and the food is the ''reinforcer''. Likewise, a student that receives attention and praise when answering a teacher's question will be more likely to answer future questions in class; the teacher's question is the antecedent, the student's response is the behavior, and the praise and attention are the reinforcements. [[Punishment (psychology)|Punishment]] is the inverse to reinforcement, referring to any behavior that decreases the likelihood that a response will occur.  In [[operant conditioning]] terms, punishment does not need to involve any type of pain, fear, or physical actions; even a brief spoken expression of disapproval is a type of punishment.<ref name=":0" />

Consequences that lead to appetitive behavior such as subjective [[incentive salience|"wanting" and "liking"]] (desire and pleasure) function as rewards or ''positive reinforcement''.<ref name=Schultz>{{cite journal | vauthors = Schultz W | title = Neuronal Reward and Decision Signals: From Theories to Data | journal = Physiological Reviews | volume = 95 | issue = 3 | pages = 853–951 | date = July 2015 | pmid = 26109341 | pmc = 4491543 | doi = 10.1152/physrev.00023.2014 | quote = Rewards in operant conditioning are positive reinforcers.&nbsp;... Operant behavior gives a good definition for rewards. Anything that makes an individual come back for more is a positive reinforcer and therefore a reward. Although it provides a good definition, positive reinforcement is only one of several reward functions.&nbsp;... Rewards are attractive. They are motivating and make us exert an effort.&nbsp;... Rewards induce approach behavior, also called appetitive or preparatory behavior, and consummatory behavior.&nbsp;... Thus any stimulus, object, event, activity, or situation that has the potential to make us approach and consume it is by definition a reward.&nbsp;... Intrinsic rewards are activities that are pleasurable on their own and are undertaken for their own sake, without being the means for getting extrinsic rewards.&nbsp;... Intrinsic rewards are genuine rewards in their own right, as they induce learning, approach, and pleasure, like perfectioning, playing, and enjoying the piano. Although they can serve to condition higher order rewards, they are not conditioned, higher order rewards, as attaining their reward properties does not require pairing with an unconditioned reward. }}</ref> There is also ''negative reinforcement'', which involves taking away an undesirable stimulus. An example of negative reinforcement would be taking an aspirin to relieve a headache.

Reinforcement is an important component of [[operant conditioning]] and [[behavior modification]]. The concept has been applied in a variety of practical areas, including parenting, coaching, therapy, self-help, education, and management.