Final answer:
The training of animals usually involves positive reinforcement, a technique within operant conditioning that increases the likelihood of a desired behavior by adding a pleasant stimulus. Negative reinforcement and punishment work differently, with the former removing an unpleasant stimulus and the latter decreasing behavior. Extinction occurs when reinforcement for a behavior is stopped, leading to a decrease in that behavior.
Step-by-step explanation:
Understanding Operant Conditioning in Animal Training
The training of animals frequently involves positive reinforcement. This technique is part of operant conditioning, where a desirable stimulus is introduced to increase a behavior, making it more likely that the behavior will occur again in the future. An example of this can be seen with dolphins being rewarded with food, which reinforces the behavior of performing tricks or following commands. In contrast, punishment, whether positive or negative, aims to decrease an unwanted behavior. Unlike negative reinforcement, which involves removing an unpleasant stimulus to encourage a behavior (like releasing pressure on a horse's reins once it performs the desired action), punishment is meant to discourage behaviors.
Extinction refers to the decrease in a conditioned response when the reinforcement is no longer given. If we continuously reward a behavior every time it occurs and then stop the rewards, the behavior is likely to diminish over time. This process is different from both reinforcement and punishment.
When discussing operant conditioning, it is crucial to understand that 'positive' and 'negative' do not signify good and bad. Instead, they indicate whether something is added or removed to influence behavior. Likewise, reinforcement always serves to increase the likelihood of a behavior while punishment decreases it.