assical and operant conditioning terms, the connections between desired behaviors and rewards will become more clear. Some preliminary, brief definitions of the terms will also help.
Operant behavior is that which is primarily controlled by its consequences. It is behavior that operates on the environment in order to effect some change; there are, in turn, consequences of that operation. In our scenario, the behavior of getting to, and departing from, daycare, is the behavior which is controlled by its consequences. The consequence of punctuality is the gaining of a token.
Positive reinforcement is that which occurs when a stimulus strengthens a response class by virtue of being presented, following a response from that class. In this case, the stimulus (presentation of the token) strengthens the response class of punctuality.
Reinforcement is an operant conditioning process in which a response (punctuality) is followed by a stimulus (the reinforcing token) and is thereby strengthened. The response-strengthening effects of reinforcement typically
...