Which statement best differentiates positive reinforcement from negative reinforcement?

Which statement best differentiates positive reinforcement from negative reinforcement?

• A. Positive reinforcement adds punishment; negative reinforcement removes punishment.
• B. Positive reinforcement removes an aversive; negative reinforcement adds an aversive.
• C. Positive reinforcement adds a desirable stimulus after a behavior; negative reinforcement removes an aversive stimulus after a behavior.
• D. Positive reinforcement reduces the frequency of a behavior; negative reinforcement increases it.

Answer: (C)

The concept being tested is how reinforcement changes behavior by what happens after the dog performs it. Positive reinforcement means you add something the dog wants after the behavior, which makes that behavior more likely to occur again. Negative reinforcement means you remove something the dog dislikes after the behavior, which also makes the behavior more likely to occur again. Both are about increasing the likelihood of the behavior, just through different types of consequences. This statement captures that distinction: positive reinforcement adds a desirable stimulus after the behavior; negative reinforcement removes an aversive stimulus after the behavior. For example, giving a treat after a sit is positive reinforcement, while releasing pressure from a leash once the dog stops pulling is negative reinforcement. The other options mix up terms: one wrongly suggests positive reinforcement is punishment, another says negative reinforcement adds an aversive (it actually removes one), and another implies reinforcement reduces the behavior—these don't describe how reinforcement functions.

The concept being tested is how reinforcement changes behavior by what happens after the dog performs it. Positive reinforcement means you add something the dog wants after the behavior, which makes that behavior more likely to occur again. Negative reinforcement means you remove something the dog dislikes after the behavior, which also makes the behavior more likely to occur again. Both are about increasing the likelihood of the behavior, just through different types of consequences.

This statement captures that distinction: positive reinforcement adds a desirable stimulus after the behavior; negative reinforcement removes an aversive stimulus after the behavior. For example, giving a treat after a sit is positive reinforcement, while releasing pressure from a leash once the dog stops pulling is negative reinforcement.

The other options mix up terms: one wrongly suggests positive reinforcement is punishment, another says negative reinforcement adds an aversive (it actually removes one), and another implies reinforcement reduces the behavior—these don't describe how reinforcement functions.