Lesson 3: How Reinforcement Goes Wrong?

Reinforcement may seem simple and straightforward but there are two things that can completely throw off reinforcement. What reinforcer is given and when the reinforcer is given impact whether or not something works as reinforcement. Reinforcement is specific to the individual. There is a difference between preferred items and reinforcers. Preferred items are things we like and reinforcers are things that we will work for and keep our behaviors going. When we are in the process of building up new behaviors, reinforcement should be provided immediately when the desired behavior occurs.