Positive reinforcement involves adding something good after a behavior to make it happen more often. Reinforcement works best when given right after the behavior happens to keep the right connections.

Positive and negative reinforcement have become buzzwords for animal behaviorists. But, they are also concepts that you can use as a dog parent to help your pup develop into a well-behaved canine ...

Reinforcement is defined as “the action of strengthening or encouraging something.” Many people think reinforcement means providing rewards, especially for good behavior. While this is true, ...

Ask a group of experts why it is hard to lose weight, and you'll likely hear some of the following answers: Diets don't work because people can't stick to them. Our metabolism fights back, causing ...

If you consult Merriam-Webster, the word “aversive” means “tending to avoid or causing avoidance of a noxious or punishing stimulus.” Does that sound like a training method you’d want to use on your ...

Some of the most common tools parents and teachers use for managing children’s behaviors are rewards and punishments. While these methods tend to lose effectiveness as a child ages, there are times ...

Everyone’s childhood is different, and the way someone is raised can have a huge impact on how they turn out. Some kids grow up with a ton of positive reinforcement—praise, encouragement and lots of ...

Eunice Framm, senior keeper of barnyard animals at the Cincinnati Zoo, has taught pigs to bowl, goats to paint, and red pandas to receive vaccines. She, and all other keepers, do so through the zoo’s ...