Negative reinforcement encourages specific behaviors by removing or avoiding negative consequences or stimuli. It is different than punishment, which aims to discourage a specific behavior. Negative ...

"I'm not afraid of storms, for I'm learning how to sail my ship." —Louisa May Alcott Making Peace With Fear Fear is hardwired into our DNA. Fear helps protect and motivate us; it’s essential to our ...

Another one of my pet peeves is the fact that many people – civilians and scientists alike – use the phrase “negative reinforcement” to mean “punishment.” The two are not at all the same; in fact, ...

Avoidance learning is part of an organism’s survival instinct, as it develops a response to evade a hostile stimulus before it happens. After experiencing an unpleasant stimulus, organisms start to ...