C.1 · Behavior Acquisition

Positive and negative reinforcement

Review reinforcement examples from approved plans: positive adds a consequence, and negative removes one. In both cases, reinforcement is defined by an increase in future behavior.

Task C.1: Apply positive and negative reinforcement procedures

Useful foundations: A.5: Observable and measurable behavior

The rule

Reinforcement means a consequence increases the future behavior it follows; positive adds something and negative removes something.

Identify the response, the contingent change and the later effect. Positive means adding a consequence; negative means removing one.

Key terms
Contingent
Delivered because a specified response occurred.
Reinforcement
A consequence strengthens the future behavior it follows.

What to look for

DistinctionLook forHow to decide
ContingencyA consequence follows the specified responseAsk whether the response produces the change.
Positive reinforcementSomething is added and future responding increasesIdentify the added event.
Negative reinforcementSomething is removed or reduced and future responding increasesIdentify what ends or is avoided.
Behavioral effectEvidence from later opportunitiesEstablish the consequence’s effect on future responding.

Worked examples

Positive reinforcement

An added activity strengthens requesting

Under an approved plan, handing over a “music” card produces a short song. With this contingency, independent card exchanges increase from one to six per comparable session across repeated observations.

Relevant facts

  • The card exchange produces access to music.
  • Independent exchanges increase over later sessions.

The pattern supports positive reinforcement of card exchange.

Card exchange → music added → future exchanges increase

The added music follows the response, and that response increases later. Both facts support the classification as positive reinforcement.

Negative reinforcement

A break strengthens a request

A supervisor-designed communication plan provides a brief pause from a task after the learner says “break.” Across comparable opportunities, independent break requests become more frequent.

Relevant facts

  • The request produces temporary removal of the task.
  • The request becomes more frequent.

The pattern supports negative reinforcement of requesting a break.

Break request → task paused → future requests increase

The removal strengthens the request, which makes this negative reinforcement. The term describes the consequence change and its effect on future behavior.

What changes the answer?

Keep praise immediately after a response; change the later pattern.

  • Praise is added following the response.

The response becomes more frequent under the contingency.

Evidence supports positive reinforcement.

Addition and an increasing future effect are present.

No increase has been observed.

Record praise delivery and continue evaluating its effect on future responding.

Reinforcement requires an increase in future responding following the consequence.

The effect on future behavior decides whether reinforcement occurred.

Remember

  • Added or removed tells you positive or negative.
  • Increased future behavior tells you reinforcement.
Sources for this topic

Reviewed 2026-09-30 · C.1 version 3.