Have you heard of positive reinforcement and its impact on behavior?, in addition to being a tool to improve communication. If you want to know what it is, this article is for you!
What is positive reinforcement?
It is that reinforcement that helps us to form an appropriate and consistent behavior, for example, not putting your elbows on the table, chewing with your mouth closed.
El positive reinforcement brings with it a stimulus after appropriate behavior, this, to create a habit of good behavior. When this is true, a reward, or even positive words, gradually forge behavior, also improve communication with children and reinforce social values. BF Skinner, an American clinical psychologist, points out that anything that helps us reinforce a desired behavior is considered positive reinforcement.
Today, good manners seem like a thing of the past; however, by using positive reinforcement we can make sure to keep them, learn more about good manners in our article Good manners. Also, understand how the negative reinforcement can influence behavior is fundamental.
How to use?
The ideal would be to apply it just after the desired action, that is, the habit we want to forge. However, this must happen only and exclusively after the expected behavior, never before or during it, as the process could be hindered.
The stimulus must be repeated the same number of times that the expected behavior occurs, and it must be extended over time, so that it is consolidated. We must always innovate with our positive reinforcements, remember that practically everything can be considered positive reinforcement, so using our imagination is key to keeping the other person motivated.
We must always value learning more than the result. The most important thing that we must take into account is the process to achieve the goal, it is a mistake not to applaud the effort to achieve the goal, as well as to use words of encouragement that can be overwhelming along the way (Ex: "You are the best" , the child may feel pressured to be, and may think they will let us down if they are not).
examples of positive reinforcement
- Choose the dessert that we will eat in the afternoon: When the child is fulfilling his homework according to the behavior that we expect, we could say, for example «Today you choose the dessert that we will eat later» or «We are going to eat out, today you choose Where are we going to have lunch?
- Verbal praise: Giving a praise or compliment when the child is doing something appropriately, for example “Great, you are putting the toys away” or “Great, you are organizing your room! How beautiful you do it! Could you help me order mine?
- We can also praise children when they complete their homework alone. It's a great way to congratulate them on their efforts, for example, "Hey, great! You've made a great effort and you're getting better and better." Remember that saying "You're getting better and better" is different from saying "You're the best," because children may feel pressured to always be the best so as not to disappoint us, and they may not complete the tasks as expected.
Positive reinforcement can be basically anything, creativity is the key.
Advantages of using it in education
- Work on self-esteem: The child will not only improve in the school and educational environment, but also applying this method will positively influence their behavior. Praise when he acts in the expected way, help the child to find her strengths and increase her self-esteem, discouragement and frustration have no place. In addition, he builds a positive and real self-image.
- Promotes willingness: When we focus on pointing out mistakes and constantly criticizing them, children gradually lose interest and attention to instructions about what not to do. Positive reinforcement, on the other hand, helps increase receptivity and helps them understand the correct way to proceed, ensuring more successes than errors.
- Consolidates knowledge: When we use positive reinforcement, we remind the child what is right, and we help to fix this in his mind. With this, we preserve what is good and correct, and discard all that is negative.
- It shapes behaviors and motivates: When we use praise to celebrate successes, we provide children with an incentive. By frequently using positive reinforcement, children feel encouraged to improve every day and do things correctly, whether it's a school assignment, a test, participating in an extracurricular activity, helping out at home, or engaging in social behavior. Initially, this method will motivate them to seek a reward or approval; however, over time, a behavior, a habit, will develop that will become part of their life and personality. The reward and external approval they initially sought will then be replaced by their own personal satisfaction and will endure over time.
It is important to mention that the balanced use of the also plays a role in the educational development of children, complementing positive reinforcement strategies.
Creativity in applying positive reinforcement can be a powerful tool in helping children develop social and emotional skills, so feel free to explore this topic further.
Finally, remember that positive reinforcement is not limited only to child education; it can also be used in pet training, such as in the case of training a beagle or even cat.
