Final answer:
Reinforcement is linked to positive outcomes, intended to increase behavior through the addition of a desirable stimulus (positive) or the removal of an undesirable one (negative). Punishment aims to decrease behavior either by adding an undesirable stimulus (positive) or removing a desirable one (negative).
Step-by-step explanation:
The experience of reinforcement is associated with positive outcomes. Reinforcement, whether positive or negative, always aims to increase the likelihood of a behavioral response. Positive reinforcement involves adding a desirable stimulus to increase a behavior, such as giving a dog a treat when it sits on command. Whereas, negative reinforcement entails removing an undesirable stimulus to increase a behavior, like taking away an annoying alarm sound once the individual gets out of bed, promoting the behavior of waking up early.
It is important to differentiate negative reinforcement from punishment, as they have opposite effects on behavior. Punishment, whether positive or negative, is designed to decrease behavior. For instance, positive punishment is when scolding is used to stop a student from texting in class by introducing a negative stimulus. Conversely, negative punishment involves taking away a pleasant stimulus to decrease a behavior, such as removing a child's toy for misbehaving.
B.F. Skinner's operant conditioning is the framework that outlines this process of learning where behaviors are modified through consequences: reinforcements to increase behaviors and punishments to decrease them.