Reinforcement and Punishment
Increasing and Decreasing Behaviors
What We’ll Cover:
POSITIVE REINFORCEMENT
NEGATIVE REINFORCEMENT
POSITIVE PUNISHMENT
NEGATIVE PUNISHMENT/
EXTINCTION
EXAMPLES IN ABA HOW IT RELATES TO YOUR CHILD
But First, Some Vocab!
• Stimulus: a thing or event that evokes a specific functional reaction
What do you think of when I say:
Reinforcement? Punishment?
Reinforcement vs. Punishment
• In ABA, when we say reinforcement, we want to increase a behavior
• When we say punishment, we want to decrease a behavior
(+) Examples of Positive Reinforcers
Getting a hug, high-five, smile, saying “good job!” or other forms or praise after completing your homework
Receiving a paycheck for doing work
Preferred snack or food after cleaning up
Your Turn! What are some more examples of positive reinforcers?
Examples of (-) Negative Reinforcers
DOING THE DISHES TO STOP A PARENT FROM NAGGING
LEAVING THE TABLE AFTER EATING TWO BITES OF BROCCOLI
PRESSING A BUTTON TO TURN OFF A VERY LOUD ALARM
Your turn! What are some other examples of negative reinforcers?
(+) Examples of Positive Punishment
Touching a hot stove and feeling pain
Yelling at a child for picking his nose
Eating rotten food and having a bad taste in your mouth after
Your turn! What are some other examples of positive punishment?
(-) Examples of Negative Punishment
Taking away screen time when a child refuses to finish their homework
A child kicks his peer during his favorite game, soccer, and is removed from the game
Child continually flips the lights on and off because it is visually stimulating, so the parent disables the light switch.
Closely related to extinction, the removal of reinforcement for a previously reinforced behavior
Your Turn! What are some more examples of negative punishment?
Using Reinforcement in ABA
We use negative
reinforcers too!
Example: Allowing a timer to play until the child sits down to start a lesson
We use TONS of positive
reinforcement during
sessions to reinforce our
lessons
Example: Giving praise or adding a sticker to a sticker board when answering a question correctly
Using Punishment in ABA
While we never yell at clients, some of our phrases may act as positive punishment
Example: Saying “stop” or “try again” during session may lower the amount of
times a child does a less-preferred behavior, like picking their nose or giving
an incorrect answer
We use extinction often
Example: While a therapist is talking with parents, the child realizes they cannot tie their
shoe, and starts screaming and hitting the therapist and parent. The therapist and parent wait to answer the child until they say, “Excuse
me” or “Can you help me?”
Let’s Talk About Your Kiddo
Can we think of examples that reinforcement and punishment is used with your child?
Questions?
You did it! You completed an ABA parent training through Tanager Place!
• You can now take your new skills to the real world (and brag to all your friends).
• Please contact your therapist if you have any follow-up questions about what you learned today.
This PowerPoint was created by Lexys Sillin, RBT and approved by Blake Stephenson BCBA
References
M.A., K. P. (2013, February 5). The Difference between Positive/Negative Reinforcement and Positive/Negative Punishment. Retrieved from https://bcotb.com/the-difference-between-positivenegative-reinforcement-and-positivenegative-punishment/
Staddon, J. E. R; D. T Cerutti (February 2003). "Operant Conditioning". Annual Review of Psychology. 54 (1): 115–144. doi:10.1146/annurev.psych.54.101601.145124. PMC 1473025. PMID 12415075
What is Reinforcement and Why Is It Important in ABA? (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.appliedbehavioranalysisedu.org/what-is-reinforcement-and-why-is-it-important-in-aba/
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