Have you ever had trouble getting something done on time? Felt unmotivated to complete that big project you've been putting off 'cause you don't even know where to start? There are plenty of theories about motivation and needs and how to keep on keeping on. But let's get back to that project you just aren't feeling up to right now. Surely, we're all familiar with the ideas of positive and negative reinforcement? Did you know those are both ways to build a behavior (like getting that paper done)?

That's right, B.F. Skinner researched a behavioral pedagogy he named 'Operant Conditioning,' that is, strengthening or weakening one's behaviors (whether that's your own or another's is up to your discretion). Through positive reinforcement, negative reinforcement, punishment, and extinction Skinner learned that behaviors, like doing one's homework, can be conditioned - built up or brought down.

Positive reinforcement is the act of rewarding a behavior. Let's take that paper you need to write. Employ positive reinforcement and promise yourself a treat if you finish it. The act of rewarding the behavior, despite how base the reward may be, reinforces the behavior, regardless of whether that behavior is good or bad. For example, we've all seen (or have been) a child in the supermarket begging for a toy or candy until the parent finally breaks and buys them what the child wants. Little does the parent know, the child has received positive reinforcement through that, and is likely to beg the same way to get what they want.

But we've also have probably seen the opposite happen. The child begs the parent for their reward and the parent punishes the child. Punishment is the behavioral method for forgetting a behavior, apply enough punishment and you will no longer perform the behavior that got you punished in the first place. Using punishment involves applying what Skinner called a 'stressor,' a negative consequence for a behavior. So let's say you're going to a party with friends in lieu of writing that paper. If you were to apply negative reinforcement to yourself to 'forget' that behavior, you might give $20 to someone who is liable to take it and not give it back, or perhaps your punishment is that 'F' you earn. Regardless, punishment is the way to stop a negative behavior.

But then, you ask, what is negative reinforcement? Did you think punishment was negative reinforcement? Ha, negative reinforcement is learning! Let's say you need to do that paper and you try to preemptively punish yourself if you don't complete it. That is, you give that $20 to a friend who will return it, but only if you do what you need to do. It's applying a 'stressor' to yourself and having that 'stressor' taken away as a result of your good behavior! You complete the paper on time, you get back the money you put on the line. You don't complete the paper, you don't get that money back. Punishment.

But what about extinction? Isn't that a little heavy-handed of a term for reinforcement theory? Extinction, simply put, is not getting a reward for doing a behavior. We see this all the time at the workplace. Some coworker feeling particularly generous puts in the extra time to do work nobody expected them to do, and what do they get in return? Nothing! Not even gratitude. And what happens? They stop doing the extra work. They 'forget' that behavior. That is extinction. So let's get back to that paper again. You do the paper on time as was required, which (for the sake of this example) is rare, and nothing is said. You get the same grade you would have if you turned it in late, and worse, you miss out on what you wanted to do. The process of extinction starts taking place and you stop trying to get things done on time. Surely, that's why you're here now, reading this?

Either way, whether it's by extinction, punishment, negative reinforcement, or positive reinforcement, there are many ways to get that paper done. Personally, I recommend negative reinforcement, there's nothing quite like putting yourself out on the line for not doing what you need to do. Good luck on that paper!