They are abbreviations for terms used in Operant Conditioning. For example, you give the dog a treat to reinforce the sit. Yes, it is, because it helps us understand each other much better. For example, in everyday usage, positive and negative often mean good and bad. However, on this list, positive and negative mean something added or taken away.
Punishment is another word that carries strong connotations in everyday language.
Aversives are any form of positive punishment that causes fear or pain. We do not recommend using aversives because it takes incredible skill to apply aversives effectively without incurring unplanned side-effects and because there are other, equally effective options which neither cause fear and pain nor adversely affect your relationship with your dog. We set up the animals to succeed, and then reward them for their successes. If your dog has a problem that you believe cannot be solved without aversives, then we encourage you to seek out an experienced positive-methods trainer who can both evaluate the situation and oversee the solution. To do this, you must use a reward that the animal finds reinforcing.