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According to Skinner, reinforcing a behavior has two effects: it strengthens the behavior and rewards the person. However, it is important to emphasize that reinforcement and reward are not synonymous. In other words, a reinforcing consequence may be rewarding or pleasurable for the person, but this is not always the case. For example, people are reinforced for working. After all, we all have bills to pay, but many find their jobs boring, uninteresting, and unrewarding. Reinforcers exist in the environment and, most of the time, they are not even noticed by people. Any behavior that increases the probability of survival of the species or individual tends to be reinforced. Note that food, hygiene, sex, and parental care are necessary conditions for the survival of the species. Therefore, any behavior that results in food, hygiene, sex, or parental care will be automatically reinforced, since these consequences are in the organism's interest. Injuries, diseases, and extreme weather conditions, in turn, are conditions that are detrimental to survival. Therefore, any behaviors that tend to reduce or avoid these conditions will probably be reinforced, since avoiding such conditions is in the organism's interest. Note, then, that reinforcement (also called reinforcement) can be divided into two categories: reinforcements that generate conditions that are beneficial to the organism and reinforcements that alleviate or avoid harmful conditions. The first are positive reinforcements, while the second are negative reinforcements. ---------------------------- Suggested works: “Science and Human Behavior” by BF Skinner. “Theories of Personality”, 7th ed., by Jess Feist and Gregory Feist. “Theories of Personality”, 9th ed., by Richard Ryckman. “Theories of Personality”, 9th ed., by Duane Schultz and Sydney E. Schultz. Sample: • Reinforcement Theory