Rick,
I wonder if your colleague was basing the statement on demonstrations that
escape and avoidance learning can occur very quickly, sometimes in a single
trial. If one accepts the notion that negative reinforcement is the basis
for escape and avoidance learning, then it might lead to an inference that
learning occurs more quickly with negative reinforcement.
Buddy Grah
Dep't of Psychology
Austin Peay St. Univ.
Clarksville, TN 37044
Rick Stevens wrote:
> When discussing the motivation of children, one of my colleagues made the
> statement that in initial learning negative reinforcement produced faster
> learning than positive reinforcement. I personally know of no direct
> experimental comparisons, so I was wondering if anyone might be able to
> provide a reference or be able to shed some light on the topic.
>
