Differences in Positive and Negative Reinforcement and How to Use Each Appropriately at Work
Most people think of positive and negative reinforcement in terms of rewards and punishment, especially with children. However, at least for negative reinforcement, most people would be wrong. While positive reinforcement is being rewarded for a job well done – even if it is just a verbal “good job,” negative reinforcement is actually the removal of undesirable consequences or remarks. So, it would be doing a job well, and not receiving negative feedback. While negative reinforcement can be a powerful tool in a manager’s toolkit, it should not be used exclusively, as it can have damaging consequences. Negative reinforcement would make an employee more likely to avoid a supervisor because any expected feedback would just be negative feedback if it is used without any other source of feedback. To avoid this, both negative and positive feedback should be used equally, giving the employee a feeling of balance, and motivating the employee to perform continuously better.
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