The Difference Between Things That Are Different: Positive and Negative Reinforcement

1. The Difference Between Things That Are Different: Positive and Negative Reinforcement

2. Pre-requisite knowledge for this presentation: • Know what I mean by positive and negative reinforcement • Be able to listen attentively while I speak extremely fast • This is short

3. L’histoire

4. “Only a change can function as a consequence for behavior, so we do not need static pre or post change conditions.” Jack Michael 1975

5. A hypothesized defense We like it because… • There is something different in an important way between the effects that positive reinforce and negative reinforcement have on behavior • There are different physiological processes • We can warn against the effects of negative reinforcement

6. 3 decades later…. • Baron, and Galizio (2005) • Positive and Negative is confusing, and often difficult to discern • Temporal relations • Stimulus ON when bx occurs, OFF after bx occurs = SR- • Stimulus OFF when bx occurs, ON after bx occurs = SR+

7. What about ambiguous stuff? • Heat in a cold environment • Cold in a hot environment • Food deprivation • The feeling of reinforcement

8. AGAINST!!! FOR!!! • Chase, P. N. (2006). Teaching the distinction between positive and negative reinforcement. The Behavior Analyst, 29, 113-115. • Iwata, B. A. (2006). On the distinction between positive and negative reinforcement. The Behavior Analyst, 29, 121- 123. • Lattal, K. A., & Lattal, A. D. (2006). And yet…:Further comments on distinguishing positive and negative reinforcement. The Behavior Analyst, 29, 129-134. • Marr, M. J. (2006). Through the looking glass: Symmetry in behavioral principles? The Behavior Analyst, 29, 125-128. • Michael, J. (2006). Comment on Baron and Galizio (2005). The Behavior Analyst, 29, 117-119.

9. Sidman’s Response • Confusing? Can be • Exclusively one way or the other every time? No not so much • May a new term provided useful clarity? Probably • Should we throw out the distinction? Nope

10. Defense against presumed defense • For the distinction • I agree the functions are the same • I would be surprised if my basal ganglia made specific distinctions between theoretical processes • I don’t need the term negative reinforcement to warn against effects

11. These are my confessions… • These processes, like most things, are not dichotomous • It confuses laymen • Theoretically, it doesn’t make extensive contributions to a philosophy of behavior

13. Dan’s cookie example • If you give a child a cookie… • Terminate a lack of nothing....? What? ?

14. Is it practical to say: • An empty bladder was added after urinating… • Terminated a lack of praise… • Added not being pulled over… • Terminated a period of not having my back scratched…

15. Additional Subtraction soup • So…. We get to reinforce by adding nothing, or terminating nothing…? • If that is the case do I get to reinforce not a behavior? Because I would LOVE to be able to do that

16. Iwata’s examples • Action (delivery) is different than a change in environmental conditions • You don’t need deprivation for conditioned reinforcers to function • Abolishing and Establishing operations

17. “As long as the conditions labeled as positive or negative reinforcement (or as EOs or AOs) are described carefully, I do not see much harm in maintaining the distinction” ~Brian Iwata

18. Here’s the point(s) • The distinction does not weaken our understanding of behavior • Word games are not convincing enough • I know what your saying when you say positive and negative reinforcement • There is clinical utility

19. Directions for future research • N/A

20. Okay, I win… now what? • No more need to argue • Let us use what we know to make applied decisions • “There is something that might be gained by identifying the nature of the stimulus change that serves as reinforcement”