Concepts and Principles
Reinforcement and punishment by behavior change
Classify consequences by whether behavior increases or decreases and whether a stimulus is added or removed.
How this shows up in scenario questions
- 1Identify negative reinforcement when task demands are removed and behavior increases.
- 2Distinguish response cost from extinction.
- 3Classify a consequence from behavior-change data rather than intuition.
Common misconceptions
- Negative means bad or punitive.
- Removal of anything is punishment.
- Consequence labels can be assigned without knowing behavior change.
Distractor patterns
- Positive punishment for an increasing behavior.
- Extinction when a stimulus is removed contingent on behavior.
- Respondent conditioning for operant contingency scenarios.
Related terms
positive reinforcementnegative reinforcementpositive punishmentnegative punishment
Related practice prompts
Distinguish negative reinforcement from punishment.
A learner completes homework more often after the teacher starts removing five problems whenever the learner begins within one minute. Which principle best explains the increase in starting promptly?
Identify stimulus control in instructional contexts.
During following a schedule in a elementary classroom, the participant says "help" only when the therapist holds up a help card, but not when the card is absent. What does this pattern most directly show? The plan must be usable by new staff during routine implementation.
Identify stimulus control in instructional contexts.
During initiating peer play in a telehealth caregiver meeting, the client says "help" only when the therapist holds up a help card, but not when the card is absent. What does this pattern most directly show? The BCBA is reviewing the decision with a trainee.