Discussion Thread_ Reinforcement - PSYC 320
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Liberty University *
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320
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Religion
Date
Apr 3, 2024
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Thread:
Reinforcement is a regularly used treatment for behavior modification. Reinforcers can
include food, blessings, attention, protection, and many other things. However, to be considered
a reinforcement, it must increase future occurrences of the behavior. Describe the types of
reinforcement and provide a Biblical example of where reinforcement was effective in increasing
a specific behavior.
Response: 300-500
Miltenberger (2016) defines reinforcement as, “the process in which the occurrence of a behavior
is followed by a consequence that results in an increase in the future probability of the behavior.
There are two types of reinforcement: positive and negative reinforcement. Miltenberger
included three questions to distinguish whether it is a positive or negative reinforcement: what is
the behavior, what happened immediately after the behavior, and what happened to the behavior
in the future. An example of positive reinforcement is in Exodus 16. God told Moses that He had
heard the Israelites grumbling about being hungry. God instructed Moses to tell the Israelites to
collect enough food for the day and He will reward them. The Israelites collected the food and
Moses said the Lord heard your complaints. Those who listened and collected one omer per
person had no shortage; the ones who collected more had none left over. In Exodus 7-12, the ten
plagues are a prime example of negative reinforcement. A ten-plague escalation was sent by God
to demonstrate the superiority of the one, true God over all other false gods. It is stated in Exodus
12:12, "I will pass through Egypt on that same night and destroy every firstborn, human and
animal. I am the Lord." (
Common English Bible,
2013). As a result of Moses' warning, God
brought horrific plagues on the land and livestock of Pharaoh if he did not release the Israelites.
Due to Pharaoh's disregard for God's will, plagues were brought upon him and his land.
Furthermore, he refused to release the Israelites. Moses is ordered to leave Egypt after the final
plague hits the nation. God ultimately demonstrated His almighty nature through negative
reinforcement. Despite Pharaoh's test of God's might, the Israelites were freed as a result of the
Ten Plagues. The Israelites drowned in the Red Sea when he sent his armies after them. As a
result of the Ten Plagues and the crossing of the Red Sea, the Israelites' faith in God was
reaffirmed, as was God's power.
Common English Bible
(2013). The CEB Study Bible. (Original work published 2011).
Miltenberger, R. G. (2016).
Behavior modification: Principles and procedures
(6th ed.).
Stamford, CT: Cengage
Replies:
Hi, Sarah. I enjoyed reading your discussion thread this week. The biblical reference to
reinforcers is so strong here. You made a good choice when choosing your own scriptural
example when choosing how Jesus convinced his disciples to follow him. You made an excellent
point throughout the discussion about Jesus being a positive reinforcer. Having a negative
attitude is easy today. 2 Timothy 3:16, “Every scripture is inspired by God and is useful for
teaching, for showing mistakes, for correcting, and for training character,” (
Common English
Bible
, 2013). Despite the fact that God provided our world with reinforcement, we have always
forgotten it. We still allow ourselves to become overwhelmed with anxiety and grief despite his
promise to us. All our worries should be placed in God's hands. Miltenberger defines
reinforcement pretty much the same way you do. He looks out for His children, sometimes even
before we realize that we belong to him.
Common English Bible
(2013). The CEB Study Bible. (Original work published 2011).
Positive reinforcement is a great tool for teaching children. It encourages them to do the right
thing by offering rewards or praise for good behavior. Negative reinforcement, on the other hand,
is used to discourage bad behavior. Joshua 1:8, “Never stop speaking about this Instruction
scroll. Recite it day and night so you can carefully obey everything written in it. Then you will
accomplish your objectives and you will succeed.”(
Common English Bible
, 2013). I agree that
reinforcement is a useful tool in teaching, as it helps to motivate people to do the right thing and
strive to be the best they can be. Yes, every person is different in the way they learn and respond
to reinforcement, so it’s important to be mindful of the type and level of reinforcement being
used. Too much or too little reinforcement can be ineffective and even damaging to the learning
process.
Common English Bible
(2013). The CEB Study Bible. (Original work published 2011).
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