Aprende a diferencias refuerzo positivo, refuerzo negativo y castigo

Summary

Psychologist and science communicator Ursula Perona explains three concepts often confused in parenting and education: positive reinforcement, negative reinforcement, and punishment. They differ in what happens after a behavior and in the intended effect: reinforcement aims to make a behavior more frequent, while punishment aims to reduce or stop it.

• Positive reinforcement: Something rewarding or desirable is added after a behavior, making that behavior more likely to happen again. For example, studying hard and receiving a good grade may encourage someone to study again.
• Negative reinforcement: Something unpleasant or unwanted is removed after a behavior, making that behavior more likely to happen again. Examples include a child being spared an unwanted task after finishing dinner, or employees not having to pay for coffee after delivering projects on time.
• Punishment: An unpleasant consequence is added, or a privilege is taken away, following an undesirable behavior. Its purpose is to reduce that behavior, not to establish a desirable one. Examples include losing the privilege of watching a favorite TV program after misbehaving, receiving a speeding ticket, or experiencing an unpleasant natural consequence after an action.

“Positive” and “negative” refer to adding or removing something, not to whether the consequence is good or bad. Both positive and negative reinforcement seek to increase a behavior; punishment seeks to decrease it.

Speaker and Source

• Ursula Perona, psychologist and science communicator.