Reinforcers are consequences that result in an increase in a behavior. They provide information to a person about what you want them to do.
• Positive reinforcement: Increases the frequency of a behavior by providing a “rewarding” consequence.(e.g., labeled praise; a genuine compliment; an A on an exam).
HINT: Timing is very important. Give the reward immediately and choose motivating reinforcers! Don’t forget to reinforce yourself!
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• Negative reinforcement: Increases the frequency of a behavior by removing something negative; it’s relief from something unpleasant.
Examples: Why take an aspirin when you have a headache? It relieves the headache and that makes you more likely to take aspirin next time you have a headache (aversive stimulus). Aspirin taking is negatively reinforced.
If your mom is nagging you, you are more likely to clean your room in order to stop the nagging. If you have intense negative emotions, and a harmful behavior provides temporary relief, you are more likely to repeat the harmful behavior. Remember, you are learning skills to manage this better!
Examples of negative reinforcements that are not harmful (e.g., positive ways to soothe yourself, leaving painful situations):
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• Shaping: Reinforcing small steps that lead toward the ultimate goal (e.g., going from A to Z in 26 steps, each step rewarded).
Example: A teenager is anxious about going to school and doesn’t usually go. She might be encouraged to go for 1 hour on Monday, 2 hours on Tuesday, and so on, until she’s able to stay for a whole day, ultimately leading up to staying every day, all week long. Reinforce each step!
Reference: From DBT® Skills Manual for Adolescents, by Jill H. Rathus and Alec L. Miller. Copyright 2015 by The Guilford Press.