Positive/Negative Reinforcement/Punishment Examples
Negative Reinforcement (reinforces TV watching behavior by removing worry)
Watching TV when you worry about a test (procrastination or giving up on it)
Positive Reinforcement
Watching your favorite TV show after doing all your homework.
Positive Punishment
Getting nauseous after eating rotten food.
Positive Reinforcement
Getting paid for a completed task.
Positive Reinforcement
Giving a child a compliment or candy for a job well done.
Positive Punishment
A speeding ticket for speeding.
Negative Punishment
A teenage girl stays out for an hour past her curfew, so her parents ground her for a week.
Negative Punishment
A third-grade boy yells at another student during class, so his teacher takes away "good behavior" tokens that can be redeemed for prizes.
Negative Punishment
After getting into a fight with his sister over who gets to play with a new toy, the mother simply takes the toy away.
Positive Punishment
Burning your hand when you touch a hot stove.
Negative Punishment
Child has a toy taken away for fighting with his sister.
Negative Reinforcement (reinforces daydreaming behavior by removing boredom)
Daydreaming or doodling in boring class
Positive Reinforcement
Dog gets a treat for sitting, laying, rolling over.
Positive Reinforcement
Dolphin gets a fish for doing a trick.
Negative Punishment
Dolphin trainer walks away with fish bucket when the dolphin gets aggressive.
Positive Reinforcement
Get a candy bar for putting money in the machine.
Negative Punishment
One person in a relationship stops talking to the other in response to a behavior.
Negative Reinforcement (reinforces rubbing behavior by removing itch)
Rubbing itchy eyes
Negative Reinforcement (reinforces scratching behavior by removing itch)
Scratching an insect bite that itches
Positive Punishment
Spanking a child
Positive Punishment
Squirting a cat for eating the plants.
Negative Reinforcement (reinforces study behavior by reducing worry)
Studying when you worry about a test
Positive Punishment
Swatting a dog with a newspaper for peeing on the carpet.
Negative Reinforcement (reinforces pill-taking behavior by removing pain)
Taking a pain reliever to reduce pain
Negative Punishment
Teen is grounded for misbehavior.
Positive Punishment (adds scold to reduce behavior)
Yelling "No!" at a dog jumping up on a person