On Wed, 27 Oct 2004, Frigo, Lenore went:
Any behaviorists out there willing to take a stab at this student question?
If strict behaviorists won't use the term reward because it implies happiness or satisfaction, then why do they use the term punishment, which seems to me, to imply unhappiness or dissatisfaction?
Actually, I've never known of any behaviorist who won't use the term _reward_. Is there an example?
Most radical behaviorists (me, for example) avoid the term except to point out its ambiguities.
It is possible to say that "I rewarded someone but they were not rewarded".
One can not, on the other hand, say that "I reinforced someone but they were not reinforced", since reinforcement is defined strictly by its effect on behavior.
If you read JEP: Animal Behavior you'll find the term "reward" used frequently.
On the other hand, you will seldom find it in the Journal of the Experimental Analysis of Behavior, even 'tho the same people often publish in both journals.
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* PAUL K. BRANDON [EMAIL PROTECTED] *
* Psychology Dept Minnesota State University *
* 23 Armstrong Hall, Mankato, MN 56001 ph 507-389-6217 *
* http://www.mnsu.edu/dept/psych/welcome.html *
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