| Term | Defined | Goal | Example |
|---|
| Positive Reinforcement | Addition of a pleasant stimulus following a target behavior | Increase desired behavior | Students who complete an online course 15 days before the end of semester receive 10 points of extra credit. |
| Negative Reinforcement | Removal of an unpleasant stimulus following a target behavior | Increase desired behavior | Students who have perfect attendance for the semester do not have to take the final exam. |
| Positive Punishment | Addition of something unpleasant following an unwanted behavior | Decrease undesired behavior | Students who are late to class more than two times have to write an extra paper. |
| Negative Punishment | Removal of something pleasant following an unwanted behavior | Decrease undesired behavior | Students late to class on exam day are not allowed to use their notes when taking the exam. |
| The positive and negative forms of reinforcement and punishment are easy to confuse. Above are some concrete definitions, goals, and examples to help you sort them out. |