Running Head: WEEK 3 REINFORCEMENT 1

Week 3 Reinforcement

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Week 3 Reinforcement

I learned a lot about reinforcement and its components from watching the video. First,

there are two types of reinforcement, Natural and planned reinforcement. Natural reinforcers are

random things that naturally occur in the environment, which drive and support behavior.

Planned reinforcers are things that we provide to reinforce a behavior, such as praise or treats.

Therefore, reinforcement refers to a systemic process whereby individuals provide a stimulus to

increase the chance of a behavior being repeated.

However, reinforcers can be harmful and lead to undesired behavior. Additionally,

increased use of reinforcements can also lead to addiction and unequal treatment among

individuals, and sometimes, they can be mistaken for bribery. I also learned about the difference

between rewards and reinforcements. Although some rewards can serve as reinforcements,

reinforcement is a more general term that refers to any event that increases the frequency of a

behavior. Reinforcements can be positive or negative. Positive reinforcements are those that

increase the frequency of behavior when added. On the other hand, negative reinforcement

removes aversive stimuli, which increases the frequency of the behavior it intends to eliminate.

Effective reinforcement depends on four factors: quantity, quality, scheduling, and how

immediate the response occurs. Primary reinforcers are paired with the survival value; secondary

reinforcers are learned and arbitrary, while general reinforcers are the best because they are

associated with many different types of reinforcers that become effective for a wide range of

behavior in other settings.

Finally, I learned that reinforcers have classes based on the type of reinforcer and its

function. When using reinforcers with clients, it is necessary to withdraw them when necessary
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to avoid addiction, employ a variety of reinforcers, and use sampling to ensure that the client is

receiving the desired response.