ABSTRACT
Chapters 5 and 6 were devoted to the topic of positive reinforcement, in which a response is followed by a reinforcer and as a result the response is strengthened. However, positive reinforcement is only one of four possible relationships between a behavior and its consequences. Figure 7.1 presents these four possibilities in the form of a two-by-two matrix. First, after a behavior occurs, a stimulus can be presented, or a stimulus can be removed or omitted. In each of these cases, the result could be either an increase or a decrease in the behavior, depending on the nature of the stimulus. Since we have already examined positive reinforcement, this chapter will focus on the other three cases.
