Reinforcement : Positive / Negative

Our lives go through an array of phases , somedays we feel great, somedays are worst but the one thing that doesn't stop is our desire to live & continue our journey, ever wondered why this happens ? Today via this blog I will try to provide an answer to this question by helping you to explore the concept of Reinforcement.

Introduction

Reinforcement is an external stimuli or a trigger which by either a positive or negative effect pushes us to perform better in our lives & teaches us how to improve in even the toughest circumstances.
Positive Reinforcement
This can be anything, from listening to a positive talk , reading good material, watching some motivational media & even the achivements that we have in our life all these things effect positively on our minds & motivate us to perform better.
Negative Reinforcement
This is a harsh way & can be self inflicted or externally imposed on us. This is often used as a corrective mechanism , the intention is not to harm the person but to instil discipline in a stringent way. Punishments in school is the best example.

Need 

The next point is crucial to explore as it questions the very existence of the concept. Why do we need reinforcement ?
Imagine a situation where there is no reaction or response to whatever you say or do in your life. Nobody notices whether you do a good task or make of mess of it. How would you feel if you have to live your entire life like this ? After a few weeks it will be extremely boring!

As human beings we are all very receptive to reactions from each other, thats what keeps us going, motivates us to live & continue living our life & thats the only reason why we need reinforcement. Be it positive or negative. We need to be praised for our good work & need to punished for our wrongs.

Positive Reinforcement

After understanding the need of reinforcement lets dive deep into the individual concept of positive & negative reinforcement.
Positive reinforcement is everything that makes us feel good. Any kind of motivational trigger that lifts us up mentally & physically to help enhance our lifestyle, work ethic, desire to work hard, & passion to achieve our goals. Positive reinforcement can be best described by the few categories below.

• Verbal

To reinforce a person positively by verbal means is a task that we perform & recieve for major part of life without even paying keen attention on it. Verbal reinforcement is nothing but praise, acknowledgement, gratitude, affection expressed in words be it orally or in a written format.

When we get a compliment from anyone that today you look beautiful / handsome it gives us immense joy, a feeling of happiness & boosts our confidence. This in simplest means is positive reinforcement. That one compliment makes the day, you feel good, think good , work more positively, mentally it puts you in a great place , all this is positive reinforcement.
Here are few more examples 

• Getting an acknowledgement for your work at the workplace

• Someone thanking you in a heartfelt manner for your contribution in the task

• Anyone who genuinely praises you for how good you are as a person.

• Listening to an influential speaker who motivates you by his / her powerful speech.

• Reading a good book, article which gives you good mindset

• Attending a one on one discussion about positivity.

• Watching , reading or listening to an interview or podcast of a legendary personality or your favourite role model.

All the above mentioned points may not seem very significant & their absence often doesn't bother us but the people who know the impact these things make in our life will understand how important it is to have them. Their presence surely makes a drastic difference & one must go through this experience. 

• Material

The next best thing to induce positive reinforcement is material objects. Whenever we recieve a material for our good work it really boosts our spirits. Of course you need the desire & hunger to achieve it. But the way in which it encourages us is second to none.
Materially induced reinforcement involves these classes broadly.

• Gifts

We all love gifts. They are always welcome but when they come as a token of appreciation in return of our good work trust me they are the best. The gifts need not be huge even the smallest thing like a box of chocolates is enough to make us feel good for entire week.

I have always believed & still believe that gifting is an art, one must master it. I personally love giving surprise gifts without a reason or an occasion. I don't think one must wait only for a birthday, anniversary or a special festival to give a gift. Try gifting without a reason its much more pleasurable to be at both giving & recieving end.
Because there is no particular time to spread positivity. You can spread it anytime with anyone. So start gifting & start reinforcing positive vibes.

• Prizes

Remember your first trophy, certificate or a medal that you won ? Wasn't the feeling of it great ? And now recall the most recent award you won , was the feeling same ? I am sure it must be. A prize is a prize ! Be it at the age of 5 or 50 it never fails to give us the high of positivity & encouragement.

Prizes , awards are a fantastic way to induce positive reinforcement. They are a combined package of Name ,Fame , Glory & Pride presented to us in one single moment. The people who achieve them know what it feels like, they know the taste for it, they can understand the efforts put in to achieve it. Also prizes give us a chance to reflect on ourselves in case we are in bad times.
Whenever you find yourself trapped in a problem just keep cool & recall the last time when you won something, any moment that reminds you of your success after overcoming tough times & when you remind yourself of it you tell yourself that if I could do it then , I can do it now ! That one award, one moment of triumph can keep you charged throughout your tough times. 

• Gestures

More often than not we all underestimate the power of human touch. I cannot emphasise enough on how important it is to communicate through a warm , generous touch. Its the greatest , simplest & the most effective positive reinforcement to give to anyone around you.

Amongst the very common gestures which can be used to induce positive reinforcement are Handshakes & A pat on the back or shoulder. These are primarily meant for formal communication, if you want to acknowledge your colleague or any person in a formal way it can be done by the above two gestures.
For informal communication , a hug, a caress on the back etc can be great ways for positive reinforcement. Of course it depends on how informally you & the other person are related.

The human touch has alot of strength than one can ever imagine, its effects are massive, it is important to realise the impact it has, without the saying a single word one can say alot with a single touch.
The next time you get a chance to spread positivity, make sure you spread it via touch.

Negative Reinforcement

As we saw earlier this is a stringent way to bring out the best in someone. "One size fits all" theory doesn't apply in the case of reinforcement & sometimes one has to be harsh on themselves & on others too for making them perform better.
Many people have a skeptical view on negative reinforcement, because it can lead to demotivation, depression & creation of self doubt in a person who is recieving it. But that surely doesn't rule it out of the game, it is necessary in some proportion to instill the right work ethic & desire to be determined & competitive.

The purpose of this reinforcement is correction rather than harming a person mentally or physically. The intention lies in subjecting a person to harsh conditions in order to put them under pressure & bring out the best in them so their performance is enhanced. This reinforcement can be self inflicted or externally imposed.
Lets take a look at few broad categories under this title.

• Verbal

Verbal negative reinforcement includes

• Scolding

• Verbally offensive statements

• Offensive remarks, derogatory comments

• Taunts, Criticism

• Mistakes pointed out in a harsh verbal manner

• Stringent way of talking 

• Praising others in front of you , for challenging you to rise to the occasion.

All these are the ways to instil corrective action in a person. They are induced so the person comes back fighting with all his / her potential to perform to the best of their ability.
The intention here is not to subject a person to depression & panic attacks but to activate their competitiveness & killer instinct to start performing their task in best way. Its often thrown as a challenge so as the person can prove the critics wrong & become successful.

• Punishment

When was the last time you were punished ?
I am sure all of you who are reading must be thinking about school days. We all remember them with fondness, & the punishments back then may have made us cry & hate the teachers but today they are the ones which make us laugh & feel gratified as they stopped us from doing the wrong things.

Punishment is a form of negative reinforcement which is more inclined on the intention of instilling discipline & proper behaviour in the human being. The purpose is not to hurt anyone brutally but once in a while if a clip around the ear is needed so be it.
That will teach a person not to repeat the mistake again & next time improve more.

What works in long term ?

We explored the concept of reinforcement & individually learnt about positive & negative reinforcement, but many a times people are confused as which one works more effectively as compared to other or which one gives results consistently in long term.
The answer is both. A bit of both is essential to maintain the balance & bring out the highest productivity in a person.
One cannot be harsh all the time & nor can be gentle all the time. So one needs to evaluate the situation, person's overall condition & then use the appropriate form of reinforcement to motivate them in the right manner.

Alot of times negative reinforcement is misused & its highly abusive ramifications are seen in the form of toxic work culture, depression, psychological imbalances etc. Whereas positive reinforcement is often abused to cheat people & lure them into doing the tasks which end up in extraction of profit for the other party. Such things must be stopped, because this creates divide & atmosphere of mistrust everywhere.

One must be genuine in their approach & if you are someone who induces reinforcement then you must not look for personal benefits & only have the best interest for others in mind.

I hope this blog turns out to be helpful to all those who read it.

I hope you enjoyed reading this blog . Thank you so much.

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