Robert Tauber

Negative Reinforcement & Time-Out! Robert Tauber

In behavior modification there are only four possible consequences available to those who want to shape or modify the behavior of others - positive reinforcement, punishment, negative reinforcement and time-out. Everyone THINKS that he understands positive reinforcement and punishment. But everyone KNOWS that they do not truly understand the definition of negative reinforcement and time-out, nor when each should best be used. Hence, this book focuses on these last two consequences. Disturbingly, a simply seven-item Quiz Negative Reinforcement Quiz reveals that not 1 in 1000 takers can respond correctly! Most people incorrectly view negative reinforcement as simply a synonym for punishment. Yet, negative reinforcement is the removal of an aversive; punishment is the supplying of an aversive. Further, most people incorrectly view time-out as a form of punishment. They, too, are wrong. Punishment is the supplying of an aversive; time-out is the removal of a reward. This book will help readers better understand both negative reinforcement and time-out and, thus, be better prepared to supply each when circumstances demand it. Such an understanding will enable readers, then, to use all four, not just two, of the behavior modification consequences. All of this is accomplished in a relatively short book with many down-to-earth, as well as humorous, examples such as the Nellie Barnes' story, the mistake by Bill Murray in Ghostbusters, and the yarn about the Burner without a brain.