positive reinforcement vs punishment

[Veralynne]

Pearlgem- your example is giving an example of reinforcing a "bad" behavior- which doesn't really make sense in what we are talking about. Normally, if we are talking about behavioral changes, you would not want to reinforce an unwanted behavior- unless for some reason you wanted to be avoidant. Now that is not to say that your example is not functioning as negative reinforcement- because it is, just not what we are really talking about here [trying to get good behaviors done and bad behaviors avoided]. My example is geared toward another person reinforcing the behavior- because that is what we are generally talking about it. Negative (taking something away) reinforcement (encouraging behavior) = taking something away to reinforce a behavior. It is just like the example I gave with push ups and broccoli (and also similar to your example). If you have to do push ups every day, as part of your regular chores and routine, *taking that burden away* from you (negative) would *encourage* the behavior of eating broccoli (reinforcement). Get it?


P.S. Pearlgem, if the point you are trying to get across is that negative reinforcement is something that reinforces "bad" (aka negative) behaviors, you are mistaken.

[Pearlgem]

I was only making a general point and not trying to be specific in dealing with the discussion in the thread, so yes, I was a little off topic there.
However, nowhere did I talk about 'bad' behaviour, or give any examples of it. I was simply making the point that negative reinforcement is all to do with avoidance - it is not 'bad' behaviour although it may be unhelpful to you in the long run.
'Feel the fear and do it anyway'.