Therefore, we choose to use definitions of reinforcement and punishment that were inspired by Karen Pryor's excellent book, Don't Shoot The Dog. Positive Reinforcement Positive Reinforcement is anything that occurs in conjunction with an act that tends to increase the likelihood that the act will occur again. Positive Reinforcement is something the subject wants, such as food, security, comfort, tactile contact, etc. Negative Reinforcement Like Positive Reinforcement, Negative Reinforcement is also anything that occurs in conjunction with an act that tends to increase the likelihood the act will occur again. However, Negative Reinforcement is something the subject wants to avoid.
People learn to buckle their seat belt to avoid the annoying sound of the buzzer in their car.
A horse learns to turn or stop to avoid the pressure from a tug on the reins. Negative Reinforcement can also decrease the likelihood an act will occur again. If you stick your finger in a parrot's cage, and the parrot removes a bit of flesh from your finger, the likelihood that you will put your finger in this cage again will most likely decrease. You have just been negatively reinforced. If you feed an aggressive Golden Eagle on a lightweight leather glove you may be negatively reinforced by the grip of the eagle and the likelihood of you wearing a lightweight glove again will probably decrease.