why do you associate negative reinforcement with ‘criticism’?.
Negative reinforcement is the basis for personal accountability. It can be an immediate reaction or a withdrawal of services. A swat on the diaper and stern words for a toddler incapable of a conversation about cars, or the 6yo who has no real grasp of death who puts the kitty in the dryer to ‘make it fluffier!’ For teens, whose brains are still developing synapses, it’s grounding. No tv, no car, no internet. Having to mow lawns or do the laundry or pull weeds or paint the garage because of bad grades - or in penance for the neighbor’s broken window Dad has to replace - to reinforce to the child that is their life if they don’t make good grades or act inappropriately in social settings.
Negative reinforcement is a technique that’s been used in military bootcamps for thousands of years with very effective results. It’s followed by building self-confidence while consistently reinforcing personal accountability. And that creates a balanced ego. The combination has worked to produce a millions of centered and mature individuals.
“Why do you associate negative reinforcement with ‘criticism’?.”
In strict terms, negative reinforcement is the withdrawal of an unpleasant or noxious stimulus in response to a desired behavior. Over time, the target behavior should increase with the expectation that the unpleasant thing will be taken away. That’s conceptually very different than a ‘swat on the diaper’.
Criticism, particularly the incessant negative feedback that one gets until they do what the criticizer thinks is ‘right’, is related to negative reinforcement. It can be, and very, very often is, destructive.
That said, I think that human beings, and particularly children, are too precious and complex to play psychological games with.