Question

"The main difference between a positive and negative reinforcer is:
a positive reinforcer means something is ______________ and
a negative reinforcer means something is __________________."

Answer 1

Answer:

given/added

Taken away.

Explanation:

When conditioning a behavior, there are two ways to make a person learn. One is by using reinforcers and the other is by using punishments.

A reinforcement is an stimulus that increments the probability of a response.

On the other hand, a punishment is an stimulus that decrements the probability of a response.

Both of them can be positive of negative

• Positive reinforcer: A positive reinforcer increments the probability of a response by giving something desirable to the person and therefore, increasing the probability of the behavior (like giving a prize to someone).
• Negative reinforcer: A negative reinforcer increments the probability of a response by removing an undesirable or unpleasant stimulus and therefore, increasing the probability of the behavior to happen (When we put on the car seatbelt on, the annoying sound stops and it will increase the probability that we use the seatbelt in the future)

Therefore, the main difference between a positive and negative reinforcer is: a positive reinforcer means something is given/added and a negative reinforcer means something is taken away.