¶ … Helplessness Theory and Response Contingent Positive Reinforcement Theory. It would not be entirely incorrect to state that these theories merely emphasize different aspects of a similar type of phenomenon. Both of these theories are utilized as a means of determining the causes of clinical depression without delving very much into cognitive processes. Perhaps their lack of insight into cognitive processes can explain their limitations as far as successfully explaining the source of depression and how it fosters within certain people.
The main similarity between these two theories is that they are based on the external experiences that people go through. Each theory states that the outside factors of these experiences help to determine the internal feelings of depression that people develop. This focus on initial experience is largely why neither one of these theories considers very many cognitive processes as the basis of depression. Instead, these theories...
In this respect, these theories are extremely similar.
However, the chief area of dissimilarity in these theories is the type of experiences that they focus on. Response Contingent Positive Reinforcement Theory is based on the fact that there is a definite lack of experiences in which a person is receiving positive feedback from others that causes depression. The implications of this theory are fairly obvious: positive reinforcement is an integral part of normalcy (psychologically speaking) and happiness, and without it people become depressed. Therefore, when people are in situations in which they cannot get the sort of positive feedback that they need for happiness, they are likely to suffer from depression.
Learned Helplessness Theory, on the other hand, considers the experiences that people have…
One has to wonder how much positive reinforcement will only be reinforcing the sense of entitlement they have received from their parents vs. The hard work and responsibility required to succeed in business. Even Skinner, the researcher who articulated the major theoretical constructs of reinforcement and who was a strong advocate of positive reinforcement, recognized the possibility to encourage negative behavior with positive reinforcement. On this matter, he said,
Misbehavior in Students: Positive Reinforcement Strategies to Cope With Negative Student Behavior" Marsh Submission to Behavioral Interventions Misbehavior in Students: Positive Reinforcement Strategies to Cope with Negative Student Behavior This paper addresses peer praise and reinforcement as a possible positive coping strategy for teachers to employ when dealing with different forms of student misbehavior. Misbehavior in Students: Positive Reinforcement Strategies to Cope with Negative Student Behavior There are many reasons a student may misbehave
On a personal level, I have tried to condition myself with negative behavior by trying to encourage myself to lose weight by posting an unflattering picture of myself on the refrigerator, to discourage in-between meal snacking. I have to admit that this was initially motivational for me, given that the vision was so unpleasant. However, to condition one's own behavior through negative reinforcement requires a great deal of zeal for
It could be as simple as a high-five, pat on the back, praise, a kiss, or a hug. It could also be simple words and actions that could make her mom feel needed around the house since being needed gives the person a feel of being important -- a form of favorable stimulus. To strengthen the independent behavior, Dorothy may choose to remove the aversive stimulus in her mom's environment.
mother in this case study wants to reinforce the behavior of eating peas. She is using operant conditioning, and positive reinforcement methods in particular. The term reinforcement refers to the strengthening of a desired behavioral outcome (Heffner, n.d.). However, there are many methods of reinforcement and positive reinforcement is only one. The mother would be more successful with both children if she identified methods of using negative reinforcement on
Hence, variables that occur outside of the classroom have an impact on the teacher's ability to institute positive behavior support (PBS). That makes it all the more vital that strategies are in place in the classroom designed to deal with all setting events, distant and recent, when possible. Body of Paper -- Distant Setting Events & Antecedents How do antecedents effect the behavior of students? Antecedents have a tendency to either