Negative reinforcement is a method that can be used to help teach specific behaviors. With negative reinforcement, something uncomfortable or otherwise unpleasant is taken away in response to a ...

Positive reinforcement involves adding something good after a behavior to make it happen more often. Reinforcement works best when given right after the behavior happens to keep the right connections.

EIGHT years ago, Jane S. listened numbly to voices from what she called the “optimological world.” They told her to wear heavy clothing in summer, to avoid bathing or speaking to people and never to ...

Scottish philosopher James Beattie said a mouthful when he observed that "in every age and every man, there is something to praise as well as to blame." In other words, people face a choice when ...

If you have a child who has been diagnosed with a spectrum disorder like autism, your pediatrician may have suggested a therapy called applied behavior analysis. Sometimes called ABA therapy, it’s ...

Negative reinforcement encourages specific behaviors by removing or avoiding negative consequences or stimuli. It is different than punishment, which aims to discourage a specific behavior. Negative ...