Natural Reinforcement: Parenting that Lasts

Most parents want to teach their children skills, behaviors, and character traits which will last and even be improved upon well into adulthood. One of the keys to teaching that lasts is using natural reinforcement.


Natural reinforcement: A way to improve education

Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis 1992 Spring; 25(1): 71–75.

Direct versus indirect response-reinforcer relationships in teaching autistic children

Journal of Abnormal Child Psychology Volume 8, Number 4, 537-547

Too often we use contrived reinforcements (bribes) without teaching the natural connections to natural reinforcement. Natural reinforcement is a simple but powerful concept lost to many in our world. Sometimes we use contrived reinforcement to teach a child to do something and sometimes this is appropriate because it is more immediate. For example: you MAY need to use small candies to initially teach your child to use the toilet; however, the natural reinforcement is consistent success and toileting hygiene (with all the natural rewards of being potty trained). Another example of a contrived reinforcement is something I have too often seen in my work. Here’s an example: A therapists will want to teach a child to appropriately ask for a hug before just grabbing and hugging. The contrived reward for an appropriate request may be something like a “good job” from the therapist or a few M & Ms. Another example is teaching someone how to make a sandwich or breakfast. While you may have to reinforce the more immediate steps towards the ultimate goal (such as a “good job” for getting the bread out to make the sandwich) the natural reinforcement for making a sandwich is eating the sandwich. The natural reinforcement for making breakfast is eating and perhaps even sharing breakfast, and of course the natural reinforcement for appropriately asking for a hug is (when appropriate) getting a hug. Most of you reading this will think ‘how silly.’ But many parents do similar things with their own children.

Here is just one example: how many parents pay their child to help in the garden? Natural reinforcers for working in the garden include those which come from working together, seeing a well maintained garden grow, and yes, eating what you have grown. Wouldn’t it be great if more people understood the natural connection between working in a garden and eating?

Natural Reinforcement: Parenting that Lasts