This assignment will be based on Positive and Aversive (negative) approaches to reinforcing behaviors in athletes.. Make sure you can distinguish between the following terms and be able to make application to the positive shaping of an athletes behavior. Positive Reinforcement, Negative Reinforcement, Aversive Control, Positive Control, Response Cost. All of these can be use to shape athletes behavior but the overuse of one or the use of these in the wrong circumstances may hinder an athletes true potential, cause them to drop out of sport or even create an anxiety prone athlete.
Based on your understanding of the different stimuli you can offer athletes, please answer the following questions;
1. Which type of stimuli do you think you use most often in your current position to influence appropriate behavior in your coaching, teaching or administration? Why do you use this type and/or provide an example.
2. Based on your current knowledge, please explain when you think it is best or most appropriate to use aversive control. Please use an example in order to clarify your answer.
3. Explain why Response Cost (That’ll cost you) form of punishment is better in shaping behavior than aversive control?
4. Using appropriate stimuli to shape behavior is vital to the development of an athlete. That stimulus along with positive reinforcement has demonstrated extremely positive results in research studies on reinforcement. This is a major factor in the development of Intrinsic Motivation. We will cover this in more detail in future sections but for now provide a brief explanation for the value of connecting reinforcement with intrinsic motivation that can made by coaches, teachers or administrators.