Lesson 4: Lesson 4 - Behavioral Management: Part I
Positive and Negative Reinforcement
So how do we reinforce behaviors? A reinforcer is any consequence that increases the behavior in the future. It can either be a negative reinforcer or a positive one. For example: Your child cleans his room (behavior). You give him praise, a hug and some extra play time (positive reinforcer). The behavior is more likely to happen again.
But inappropriate behaviors can also be reinforced. You take your child to the store. She whines for candy while you are shopping. You object, but finally give in so she will stop whining. Here, a behavior you didn’t want (whining and making a fuss in the store) was positively rewarded by giving the child what she wanted (the candy) and you were negatively rewarded (something was removed) because the whining stopped. Your child learned that if she whines long enough, Mom will give in and she will get what she wants and an inappropriate behavior was put in place.
Reinforcers can be social (hugs, endearing words, acknowledgement, smiles, encouragement, praise, etc.), they can be activities (extra play time, special time with Mom or Dad, extra story at bedtime, etc.) or material (here we often think of things edible such as ice cream, or candy, but it can also mean toys, earning money, etc.). Reinforcers need to be appropriate for the age of the child and appropriate for behaviors you are reinforcing. Oftentimes, the most powerful reinforcement is the words, smiles and hugs you give your child, because nothing means as much to a child as knowing their parents love them and are pleased with what they do. It is also important to know that reinforcers are not bribes. Bribes are rewards for immoral or illegal acts.
Here are some basic rules to make reinforcement work for you:
- Reinforcers need to be important to the child. Taking him to a hockey game as a special treat is not rewarding if that child does not like hockey.
- Be specific about the behavior you are rewarding. “I was so pleased when you sat quietly while I was talking to Mrs. Jones.” Here the child is being specifically acknowledged for what they did versus simply saying, “I appreciate your being good today.” What does “good” mean to a child?
- Reinforce immediately. As soon as you see the behaviors you want in place, acknowledge them. Waiting loses the potency of the reinforcement. It is even more important for ADHD/ADD children to be reinforced immediately.
- Focus on positives rather than mistakes – avoid criticisms. It is so easy to slip into a negative cycle of always pointing up the mistakes a child is making, assuming they already know what it is they are supposed to be doing. Pretty soon they don’t feel very good about themselves because all they hear is negative remarks about everything they do and they attribute their behaviors to themselves as a personal being. If they are always doing things wrong, there must be something wrong with them as well. Focusing on the positives helps them learn what it is they are supposed to be doing.
- Keep promises. Never threaten! Threats are just that. We often make threats thinking that the threat will make the child do what we want and when they don’t, we either have to follow through or give in. Usually threats are something you don’t want to follow through on and are different than warnings. Warnings have a thought-through consequence. Also, if you promise to do something, keep that promise. If you promise to spend time with them on Saturday, do so. If you say you will shut off the TV if they continue to misbehave, do so.
- Reinforce frequently. At first, reinforce for small steps in the right direction. Then, when the behavior is in place, switch to partial reinforcement. This is when you reinforce them once in a while instead of every time. Partial reinforcement is more resistant to extinction and is much harder to break, because the person is subconsciously waiting for that reinforcer. Ex: When teaching a child to eat with a spoon. You praise him for every attempt. Then you praise him for doing it. Later, you occasionally praise him for eating so well with his spoon.
- ADHD/ADD children need MORE reinforcers MORE often. They require consistency, immediacy, and tons of encouragement, praise and positive reinforcement if they are going to manage the complexities of this world.
