Reinforcement matrix

Today we met the trainer from another club (dogsports NZ) while we were on our way to Schutzhund training. He invited us to come over to his club on Wednesday to take a look at their training. He mentioned that the dogs in their clubs went though all four quadrants of the reinforcement matrix. What is the reinforcement matrix?

Basically, there are two kinds of events: pleasant and aversive. An example of a pleasant event is food and an example of an aversive event is electric shock. These events can be viewed as primary (related to a biological need) or secondary (previously paired with a primary). Furthermore, an event can be given (positive) or taken away (negative).








The goal of reinforcement is to increase the likelihood of the behavior in the future, while the goal of punishment is to decrease the likelihood of the behavior in the future. Positive refers to addition and negative to subtraction. In the case of the consequences of behavior, positive refers to the adding or giving of something and negative refers to subtraction or taking something away.

+ reinforcement

Definition: The giving of a pleasant event contingent on a behavior with the goal of increasing the likelihood of the behavior in the future.

Example: Dog sits (or does whatever else you might ask) and you give him/her food, play, and/or praise.

+ punishment

Definition: The giving of an aversive event contingent on a behavior with the goal of decreasing the likelihood of the behavior in the future.

Example: Dog sits up on the long down in the AKC obedience exercise and the owner becomes verbally and/or physically firm.

- reinforcement

Definition: The removal of an aversive event contingent on a behavior with the goal of increasing the likelihood of the behavior in the future.

Example: A technique for teaching the retrieve involves releasing an ear pinch or terminating a shock at the moment the dog clasps the dumbbell in its mouth.

- punishment

Definition: The removal of a pleasant event contingent on a behavior with the goal of decreasing the likelihood of the behavior in the future.

Example: Puppy learn bite inhibition during play when we recoil and cease playing for a moment or two when the dog is too rough. Also, consider the earliest stages of teaching a dog to heel. We may give constant praise and encouragement when the desired behavior occurs but we will withhold the praise when the behavior observed does not meet our criteria of "good heeling".