reinforced practice

a learning procedure in which participants receive incentives for performing specific desired behaviors. For example, children with a fear of the dentist may become more cooperative when praised and rewarded for allowing dental instruments in their mouths for several brief periods before the dentist actually begins work. The technique has been shown to be effective with a variety of behaviors in numerous experimental and real-world situations. The reinforcement need not be complex to be effective and may even be provided automatically, such as a computer screen showing a smiley face when a student presses the button for the correct answer to a study question. In operant conditioning, the term generally denotes the process of shaping.

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Psychology term of the day

February 18th 2025

underachiever

n. a person who consistently achieves below his or her demonstrated capacity. Underachievement may be specific to an area of study or work, or it may be general. It is more prevalent among boys than girls and is quite common in bright and even gifted children. It is also prevalent among average students and children with special needs. Compare overachiever.