The Effects of Positive Reinforcements on Puzzle Solving

Positive reinforcement comes in many forms. Sometimes it is praise from another, and sometimes it is merely getting what is wanted. Scientists have used positive and negative reinforcement in experiments to see how it effects a person's performance on puzzle solving and other tasks. Not surprisingly, people and animals both perform better when they get something good out of it. Exactly like our dog that sits for a treat, or our kids who behave at the grocery store so they can have some candy, test subjects are willing to work to get what they want.

Speed

• When subjects in an experiment are given positive reinforcement they work puzzles faster. Both humans and animals show a tendency to work more quickly when they receive positive reinforcement. Studies on children with learning disabilities had the same result. We work quicker and harder when we are given positive reinforcement for our efforts.

  Most subjects work a puzzle faster the second time they attempt it, but positive reinforcement speeds puzzle solving more than merely completing the first puzzle.

Tendency to Repeat

• Subjects are more likely to repeat the task of solving a puzzle when they get positive reinforcement. In fact, the subjects do not even need to receive the positive reinforcement every time they do something. Even if the positive reinforcement is intermittent, as long as it is frequent the behavior continues. This is evident in puzzle solving experiments conducted by Northwestern University.

People

• Many experiments involving the effects of positive reinforcement on puzzle solving are conducted on young people and children. Teachers often use puzzles to motivate children to learn and achieve. Solving puzzles, in turn, can provide positive reinforcement.

  Interestingly, when students are working on puzzles together, a negative comment to one child can serve as positive reinforcement for the other. Children actually performed faster when solving a puzzle if the other child received a negative comment about his work, according to research by Northwestern University.

Animals

• Animals have historically performed well on problem solving puzzles when positive reinforcement is introduced. Puzzle boxes were designed to free animals in confinement when they pressed or stepped on a lever. All animals learned at different paces, but all animals eventually learned to respond to positive reinforcement -- when they escaped the box -- and progressively escaped faster until they could exit as fast as possible. These experiments were performed on many species, including monkeys, cats, mice and chickens.