reinforcement (redirected from Reinforcement (psychology))

reinforcement /re·in·force·ment/ (-in-fors´ment) in behavioral science, the presentation of a stimulus following a response that increases the frequency of subsequent responses, whether positive to desirable events, or negative to undesirable events which are reinforced in their removal.

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re·in·force·ment (rn-fôrsmnt)

n.

1. The act or process of reinforcing.

2. Something that reinforces.

3. The occurrence or experimental introduction of an unconditioned stimulus along with a conditioned stimulus.

4. The strengthening of a conditioned response by such means.

5. An event, a circumstance, or a condition that increases the likelihood that a given response will recur in a situation like that in which the reinforcing condition originally occurred.

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reinforcement

[rē′infôrs′mənt]

Etymology: L, re + Fr, enforcir, to strengthen

(in psychology) a process in which a response is strengthened by the fear of punishment or the anticipation of reward.

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reinforcement [re″in-fors´ment]

the increasing of force or strength. In the psychological theory of behaviorism, presentation of a stimulus following a response that increases the frequency of subsequent responses. This is central in operant conditioning.



Positive reinforcement consists of a stimulus that is added to the environment immediately after the desired response has been exhibited. It serves to strengthen the response, that is, to increase the likelihood of its occurring again. Examples of such reinforcement are food, money, a special privilege, or some other reward that is satisfying to the subject.

Negative reinforcement consists of a stimulus that is withdrawn (subtracted) from the environment immediately after the response, so that the withdrawal serves to strengthen the response.

reinforcement of reflex strengthening of a reflex response by the patient's performance of some unrelated action during elicitation of the reflex.

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reinforcement,

n the increasing of force or strength.

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reinforcement

the use of a stimulus to modify an existing form of response. The stimulus may be a reward or a punishment and the reinforcement may correspondingly be positive or negative.

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reinforcement

Psychology Any activity, either a reward-positive reinforcement, or punishment-negative reinforcement, intended to strengthen or extinguish a response or behavior, making its occurrence more or less probable, intense, frequent; reinforcement is a process central to operant conditioning. See Contingency reinforcement.