When you hear the term Negative Reinforcement, what do you think? What does that mean to you? Does the term ‘negative’ immediately make you think ‘bad?’ If it does, you’re definitely NOT alone. Negative Reinforcement is often used as a way to say that ‘bad’ behavior is being reinforced: “We have to make sure we’re […]
Behavior Analysis
How We Avoid Punishing Our Children
I often see comments in gentle parenting boards asking, “If you don’t punish, what do you do?” Or, “There are definitely circumstances where punishments are necessary, right?” As a BCBA (Board Certified Behavior Analyst), I frequently have to hold back from defining the term ‘punishment’ because I know that’s not exactly what folks mean. I […]
Behavior Charts…if you’re going to use them, here’s how:
Are you thinking about using a behavior chart for your child? Have you tried one already but it wasn’t successful? Let’s talk about this for a minute… When we say ‘behavior chart’ what we usually mean is a token reinforcement system. A token reinforcement system is used to increase behavior we like, behavior we want […]
Reinforcement vs. Punishment: Defined
Learn the definitions of reinforcement and punishment.