Another one of my pet peeves is the fact that many people – civilians and scientists alike – use the phrase “negative reinforcement” to mean “punishment.” The two are not at all the same; in fact, ...

What is the defining property of addiction? We dust off a several-decades-long debate about the relative importance of two forms of reinforcement—positive reinforcement, subjectively linked to ...

Another one of my pet peeves is the fact that many people – civilians and scientists alike – use the phrase “negative reinforcement” to mean “punishment.” The two are not at all the same; in fact, ...

Have you ever made up an excuse to avoid a meeting at work or changed your route at the grocery store to avoid a particularly chatty acquaintance? Have you been at a party and made up an excuse to ...

Reinforcement is defined as “the action of strengthening or encouraging something.” Many people think reinforcement means providing rewards, especially for good behavior. While this is true, ...

Positive and negative reinforcement are common, often complementary tools used by managers to motivate workers. A positive reinforcement is a reward or incentive offered to an employee for meeting ...