Negative Reinforcement Versus Positive Reinforceme (Part 1)
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In this article, we shall discuss a variety of reinforcement methods used in animal training. We shall endeavor to clearly point out the pros and cons of each type and also discuss their appropriateness for given situations. Hopefully this will give you, the reader, the knowledge needed to make an educated decision on how to reward or correct your pets’ behavior. To begin, let’s improve our understanding of positive reinforcement.
Positive Reinforcement, for the purposes of this article, refers to any form of training that is based on rewards rather than punishment. This training would be the type witnessed in many zoos where a trained animal is rewarded with some treat, such as a morsel of food, for a job well done. Positive reinforcement can also refer to petting the animal or verbal praises. Other examples of positive reinforcement would be play time, such as a rousing game of fetch or playing chase.
