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/