Positive Reinforcement

The Basic Idea

Have you ever witnessed a show-down between a toddler begging for a toy and their parent? The rugrat can employ dozens of ruthless tactics, even unleashing the ultimate humiliation – a mid-mall tantrum. As a bystander, you think, “Just buy him the toy, anything to make this stop!” However, as experienced parents know, this surrender will signal to the child that bad behavior gets them what they want. In other words, the toy will act as a positive reinforcer for bad behavior. In behavioral psychology, positive reinforcement is a key concept in operant conditioning, a powerful form of learning in which behavioral consequences determine the likelihood of future behavior.1

What is love except another name for the use of positive reinforcement? Or vice versa.


–American psychologist, B. F. Skinner in Walden Two

About the Author

A person wearing a brown sleeveless top over a light-colored shirt, standing at an indoor location with plants and metal railing in the background.

Maria Fomina

Maria is a Summer Associate at The Decision Lab whose main interests lie at the intersections of health and behavioral science. She has recently completed an undergraduate degree at the University of Toronto, majoring in global health and psychology, and minoring in immunology. Before joining TDL, Maria helped start Doctrina, the educational program of Pendance film festival. In her free time, she does translations for the Rylkov Foundation for Health and Social Justice, an NGO promoting a humane drug policy in Russia.

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I was blown away with their application and translation of behavioral science into practice. They took a very complex ecosystem and created a series of interventions using an innovative mix of the latest research and creative client co-creation. I was so impressed at the final product they created, which was hugely comprehensive despite the large scope of the client being of the world's most far-reaching and best known consumer brands. I'm excited to see what we can create together in the future.

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BEHAVIORAL SCIENTIST

GLOBAL COFFEEHOUSE CHAIN PROJECT

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By launching a behavioral science practice at the core of the organization, we helped one of the largest insurers in North America realize $30M increase in annual revenue.

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By redesigning North America's first national digital platform for mental health, we achieved a 52% lift in monthly users and an 83% improvement on clinical assessment.

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By designing a new process and getting buy-in from the C-Suite team, we helped one of the largest smartphone manufacturers in the world reduce software design time by 75%.

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By implementing targeted nudges based on proactive interventions, we reduced drop-off rates for 450,000 clients belonging to USA's oldest debt consolidation organizations by 46%

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