Reinforcement is a technique widely used in behavior therapy. It is frequently applied in children and intellectual disabilities, in order to increase or develop different types of behaviors.
For this technique to be effective, the reinforcer must be adequate. The reinforcer (or reinforcement) is any stimulus that increases the probability that a behavior will be repeated in the future. In this article We will know the different types of reinforcers according to six classification criteria.
Behavioral modification through reinforcement
Positive reinforcement is a type of operant behavioral technique, which serves to develop or increase behaviors. Normally, the behaviors that we want to increase or enhance are those that are adaptive and positive for the child’s learning.
There are different types of reinforcers, which are applied depending on the situation, the child (characteristics, age, preferences,…), their relationship with the therapist or parent, the availability of resources, the context, etc
Reinforcement is the procedure by which The application of a stimulus increases the probability that a behavior will be repeated in the future. On the other hand, the reinforcer or reinforcement is any stimulus that increases the probability that a behavior will be repeated in the future.
Some examples of reinforcers are: praise (verbal reinforcement), a type of food that the child likes, jelly beans, more time watching cartoons, a game, a book, tickling, jokes, etc.
Types of reinforcers
There are different types of reinforcers, depending on the criteria we use to classify them. We can classify them according to six different criteria:
1. According to its origin
Depending on the origin of their reinforcing value, we find the following types of reinforcers.
1.1. Primary
Have an unconditioned or innate value. For example, food or drink.
1.2. Secondary or generalized
They become reinforcers through learning. They have a more specific character.
1.3. Generalized
They are reinforcers multiple answers (for example money or tokens from the token economy system).
2. Nature
By their nature, we can list the following types of reinforcers:
2.1. Materials or tangibles
They have a physical entity (for example a ball or a bicycle).
2.2. Edible or manipulable
They are eaten or can be manipulated (for example gum or candy).
23. Social
They are interpersonal in nature; They cover verbal and non-verbal language (for example, praise or caresses).
2.4. Of activity
It is about the behaviors that are pleasurable for the subject (for example going to the movies or shopping).
2.5. Premack principle
It occurs when a low-frequency activity increases its probability of occurrence by associating it with another high-frequency activity.
3. Reinforcement process
According to the reinforcement process, the types of reinforcers that we find are two:
3.1. Extrinsic
Reinforcement is open and observable.
3.2. Intrinsic
Is a covert reinforcement (for example thoughts or images).
4. Administrator
We find two types of reinforcers:
4.1. External
The reinforcer someone administers it to the subject that is, another person.
4.2. Self-reinforcing
They are self-applied reinforcers (by the subject himself).
5. Receiver
Depending on who receives the reinforcer, these can be classified as:
5.1. Direct
The subject himself is the one who receives the reinforcer.
5.2. Vicars
The subject observe how another subject receives the reinforcer.
6. Programming
We find two types, according to their programming:
6.1. Natural:
They have a high probability of occurring in the environment (for example a good grade in the school environment).
6.2. Artificial
They are those that are applied under specific conditions (for example, tokens).
How is positive reinforcement applied?
As we have seen, we have many types of reinforcers to choose from; Our choice will depend on some variables already mentioned.
Furthermore, for positive reinforcement to be effective, This must be applied correctly. There are a series of guidelines to do so, which we list below:
Reinforcement effectiveness
In the end, what matters is not so much the nature of the reinforcement or stimulus (that is, what type of reinforcement it is), but rather that the behavior we want to increase actually increases thanks to said reinforcement. That is, what makes a reinforcer really effective is that fulfills this function.
Thus, it is not so much that there are certain types of reinforcers more effective than others, but rather that everything will depend on the situation and the subject.
Some evidence that shows us that a reinforcer will be effective are:
- Let the child “get hooked” to the reinforcer.
- That they do not want to “leave” the situation by reinforcing (looking for other stimuli, for example).
- Let him ask for it.
- Let him laugh or smile while he has the reinforcer.
Other techniques
Other techniques similar to positive reinforcement, which have the same function (enable the development or increase of certain behaviors) are: shaping, chaining, fading, and rule-operated behavior.
Bibliographic references:
- González, A. (2005). Contributions of behavioral psychology to education. Synectics, 25, 15-22.
- Vallejo, M.A. (2012). Manual of Behavior Therapy. Volume I. Madrid: Dykinson.
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PsychologyFor. (2024). The 16 Types of Reinforcers (and Their Characteristics). https://psychologyfor.com/the-16-types-of-reinforcers-and-their-characteristics/