Editing Reinforcement (section)

==Introduction==

[[B.F. Skinner]] was a well-known and influential researcher who articulated many of the theoretical constructs of reinforcement and [[behaviorism]]. Skinner defined reinforcers according to the change in response strength (response rate) rather than to more subjective criteria, such as what is pleasurable or valuable to someone. Accordingly, activities, foods or items considered pleasant or enjoyable may not necessarily be reinforcing (because they produce no increase in the response preceding them). Stimuli, settings, and activities only fit the definition of reinforcers if the behavior that immediately precedes the potential reinforcer increases in similar situations in the future; for example, a child who receives a cookie when he or she asks for one. If the frequency of "cookie-requesting behavior" increases, the cookie can be seen as reinforcing "cookie-requesting behavior". If however, "cookie-requesting behavior" does not increase the cookie cannot be considered reinforcing.

The sole criterion that determines if a stimulus is reinforcing is the change in probability of a behavior after administration of that potential reinforcer. Other theories may focus on additional factors such as whether the person expected a behavior to produce a given outcome, but in the behavioral theory, reinforcement is defined by an increased probability of a response.

The study of reinforcement has produced an enormous body of [[reliability (statistics)|reproducible]] experimental results. Reinforcement is the central concept and procedure in [[special education]], [[applied behavior analysis]], and the [[experimental analysis of behavior]] and is a core concept in some medical and [[psychopharmacology]] models, particularly [[addiction]], [[substance dependence|dependence]], and [[Compulsive behavior|compulsion]].