Positive reinforcement involves adding something good after a behavior to make it happen more often. Reinforcement works best when given right after the behavior happens to keep the right connections.

Whether you have a brand-new puppy or recently adopted an older dog, you’ve likely come across the term “positive reinforcement” when looking up training techniques. But, what is positive ...

One of the main influences on our behavior is the consequences of our actions, especially those that come shortly after we perform that action. For example, when a behavior is followed by positive and ...

Ask a group of experts why it is hard to lose weight, and you'll likely hear some of the following answers: Diets don't work because people can't stick to them. Our metabolism fights back, causing ...

Some of the most common tools parents and teachers use for managing children’s behaviors are rewards and punishments. While these methods tend to lose effectiveness as a child ages, there are times ...

Three years ago, Valli Fraser-Celin adopted a blond husky-mix puppy, whom she named Husk. Fraser-Celin soon started looking for ways to curb Husk’s “totally wild” behavior, she says, such as stealing ...

A central question in the interspecific human/animal relationship is how domestic animals perceive humans as a significant element of their environment. In this study, we tested the hypothesis that ...

Horses are commonly trained using negative reinforcement. However, a growing body of scientific evidence supports positive reinforcement as an efficient training method for horses. In this study we ...

Everyone’s childhood is different, and the way someone is raised can have a huge impact on how they turn out. Some kids grow up with a ton of positive reinforcement—praise, encouragement and lots of ...