Automatic positive reinforcementPositive reinforcement occurs when a behavior is followed by... occurs when a behaviorBehavior refers to any activity or action that living o... is strengthened because it directly produces a reinforcing stimulusStimulus is defined as any change in the environment or..., without the involvement of another person. The reinforcementReinforcement is a fundamental concept in Applied Behavior A... is intrinsic to the behavior itself, meaning the individual engages in the behavior to achieve an internal or sensory reward, rather than to gain attention, escape, or access to tangibles.
Example
A child with autism frequently engages in hand-flapping, and after observation, it is determined that the behavior is not maintained by social attention or access to objects. Instead, the child finds the physical sensation of flapping hands to be inherently enjoyable or calming. This is an example of automatic positive reinforcement, where the behavior is reinforced by the sensory feedback it provides, making the child more likely to engage in the behavior again in the future.
Reinforcement, Socially Mediated Positive ReinforcementSocially mediated positive reinforcement is a type of reinfo...