ABA Exam CoachLessons · B. Concepts and Principles
B.4 · Positive vs. negative reinforcement
Here's a question that trips up a lot of people: if a kid gets out of homework by having a tantrum, is that positive or negative? Stick with me for two minutes and you'll be able to answer it without second-guessing yourself.
Key takeaway
Both positive and negative reinforcement make a behavior more likely to happen again. Positive means a stimulus is added or gets stronger after the response. Negative means a stimulus is removed, reduced, or put off, which covers both escape and avoidance. Classify by what happened to the stimulus and to the behavior, not by anyone's intentions or by whether the stimulus seems pleasant.
Both positive and negative reinforcement make a behavior more likely to happen again. Positive means a stimulus is added or gets stronger after the response. Negative means a stimulus is removed, reduced, or put off, which covers both escape and avoidance. Classify by what happened to the stimulus and to the behavior, not by anyone's intentions or by whether the stimulus seems pleasant.
Members get the full lesson video, notes and a 5-question test
The video walks through the idea, worked examples, the trap people fall into and an exam-style question. The notes and the checkpoint come with it, and your results feed your Where to focus plan.