Field Guide · Glossary
Negative reinforcement
Learning scienceRemoving something unpleasant when a dog performs a behavior, so that the behavior becomes more likely.
How it works
Negative means removal and reinforcement means the behavior increases, so the term describes relief being used as payment. Leash pressure that releases the moment a dog turns toward the handler is the everyday example. Distance functioning as the reward in reactivity work is another: a dog who looks away and is then moved further from what worried them has been reinforced by the removal of that pressure. It requires something aversive to be present first, which is the part that gets overlooked when the word negative is read as mild.
What it looks like
A dog feels steady pressure on the leash. The instant they step toward the handler, the pressure stops. The stepping increases, because it is what reliably ends the pressure.
Commonly confused with
- Positive punishment
- Both involve something the dog dislikes. Positive punishment adds it to reduce a behavior; negative reinforcement removes it to increase one. The word negative confuses people into reading this as a punishment.
Related terms