In psychology, the idea of reinforcement is a key part of how we learn and comes from the behaviorism school of thought (Skinner, 1948; Thorndike, 1927). Positive reinforcement happens when a behavior leads to a reward. This makes it more likely that we’ll do that behavior again in the future. For example, when an athlete learns a new skill and gets praised by their coach, they’ll want to do it again to get more praise. Negative reinforcement is different from punishment. It’s when a behavior leads to the removal of something unpleasant. This also makes it more likely that the behavior will be done again. For instance, if an athlete learns a new skill and is no longer teased by their teammates, they’ll be more likely to keep doing that skill.
Turnnidge et al. (2014) have seen that positive reinforcement work well in interactions between coaches and athletes. However, it is important to remember that rewards and the removal of unpleasant things are often tied to specific behaviors. This can be a problem for athletes’ well-being, like when parents or coaches only show love and affection when certain behaviors are done.
Skinner, B. F. (1948). Superstition in the pigeon. Journal of Experimental Psychology, 38, 168 172.
Thorndike, E. L. (1927). The law of effect. The American Journal of Psychology, 39, 212 222.
Turnnidge, J., Coˆte ́, J., Hollenstein, T., & Deakin, J. (2014). A direct observation of thedynamic content and structure of coach-athlete interactions in a model sport program. Journal of Applied Sport Psychology, 26, 225 240.