Provide a 150-250 word reply for each post below. Each reply must incorporate at least 1 peer-reviewed empirical research article or textbook in current APA format. Any sources cited must have been published within the last five years. Acceptable sources include the textbooks from our course and outside sources. ***Textbook pages attached if needed for referencing.
1. ) There are two types of reinforcement: positive reinforcement and negative reinforcement. Both processes strengthen a behavior and increase the probability that the behavior will happen in the future. Positive reinforcement occurs after a behavior happens and a stimulus or a reinforcer is given and/or an increase in the stimulus intensity. This type of positive reinforcer is something pleasant, desirable, or valuable to person or animal behaving (Miltenberger, 2016). An example is giving an allowance or treats to encourage children to complete their chores instead of nagging.
One Biblical example of positive reinforcement was Noah and his family being saved from the flood by following God’s instructions. Noah and his family served the flood that covered the earth for 150 days. By listening to God’s instructions, Noah and his family were able to enjoy the beautiful new world God made and be fruitful. Noah’s covenant was confirmed as well as all his descendants. Noah was blessed to live 950 years. In those years, he shared the word of God and remained one of the only blameless people on earth.
A negative reinforcement occurs after a behavior and the stimulus or aversive stimulus is removed and/or a decrease in the intensity of the stimulus. This type of aversive stimulus is unpleasant, painful, or annoying to the person or animal behaving. One thing to remember with negative reinforcement is that it is not punishment. Punishment and negative reinforcement can be easily confused. Negative reinforcement strengths a behavior, well punishment weakens a behavior (Miltenberger, 2016). An example is teaching a dog to heel may keep tension on the dog’s leash while walking. The dog does not enjoy the tension and find it uncomfortable. The dog will learn that the closer they walk to the trainer’s heel, the reduced tension will be on the leash. References
Miltenberger, R. G. (2016). Behavior Modification: Principles and procedures (6th ed.). Stamford, CT: Cengage.
2.) Reinforcement occurs when a specific behavior needs strengthening or is desired to be repeated. In order for that to happen, consequences must follow this behavior in order to encourage it to continue. There are two different types of reinforcement described in our text. They are commonly known as positive reinforcement and negative reinforcement. Positive reinforcement is defined in our textbook as “the occurrence of a behavior is followed by the addition of a stimulus (a reinforcer) or an increase in the intensity of a stimulus, which results in the strengthening of the behavior” (Miltenberger, 2016). Negative reinforcement is defined in our textbook as “The occurrence of a behavior is followed by the removal of a stimulus (an aversive stimulus) or a decrease in the intensity of a stimulus, which results in the strengthening of the behavior (Miltenberger, 2016). Positive and negative reinforcement have a common goal which is to strengthen a behavior. Positive reinforcement urges us to increase the number of times of a stimulus is added. An example of this would be the way we trained our dogs to hit the bells on our patio door to let us know that they want to go outside. With a lot of consistency, every time we let them outside, we would gently bump their noses on the bells and then immediately open our patio door. They soon learned that whenever they bumped the bells with their noses, we know they need to go outside and open the door for them! Negative reinforcement can sometimes be confused with attempting to correct a negative behavior or trying to decrease a negative behavior, but that is not the case. With negative reinforcement, we simply want to remove the stimulus after a behavior. An example of this would be when my son is riding on his bike and falls off and scrapes his knee. I would put knee pads on him every time he rides his bike so that if/when he falls, he won’t scrape his knees.
As children of God, we are reinforced by Him when our behavior honors Him. When we live faithfully to God, we are blessed beyond measure in return. An example of this in my own life is my mission trip to Colombia when I was 17. I was able to go to Bogota, Colombia for two weeks with my church and spread God’s word to everyone and anyone who would listen. I met so many amazing people and spent time with so many who were less fortunate than myself. We prayed over countless amounts of people who would sob on our shoulders while we did so. We went to orphanages and held beautiful babies and played with toddlers who didn’t get shown the love they deserved every day. It changed me forever and I will always hold those memories and lessons learned with me forever. What we gave to the community of Bogota, Colombia in the name of Jesus will never be able to compare to what we received from God in return, we were able to see God’s love firsthand THROUGH OURSELVES during that mission trip. Nothing can compare to that. Source:
Miltenberger, R. (2016). Behavior Modifications (custom ed., pp.65-87). Cengage Learning.
