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reinforcement (re″in-forsĀ“mәnt)   the increasing of force or strength. In the psychological theory of behaviorism, presentation of a stimulus following a response that increases the frequency of subsequent responses. This is a key concept in operant conditioning.
 

negative reinforcement  withdrawal of a stimulus from the environment immediately after the response, so that the withdrawal serves to strengthen the response.

positive reinforcement  addition of a stimulus to the environment immediately after the desired response has happened; this serves to strengthen the response (increase the likelihood of its occurring again). Examples of such reinforcement are food, money, a special privilege, or some other reward that is satisfying to the subject.

reinforcement of reflex  strengthening of a reflex response by the patient's performance of some unrelated action during elicitation of the reflex.





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