In my last blog post, I wrote about using a continuous reinforcement schedule when you want to establish a new behavior. And I hinted that you should change that schedule after the behavior is ...

A study has found that adolescents become highly motivated to seek rewards after just a few hours of social isolation. This may be beneficial in driving them toward social interaction, but when ...

Want to listen to this article out loud? Hear it on Slate Voice. A few months ago, my husband and I met a psychologist who advised us to start using rewards with our 6-year-old. Our son is happy, but ...

Every parent has offered incentives: “If you’re patient while I get the tires rotated, we’ll get ice cream afterwards.” Or, “if you play nicely with your cousin, you can use the iPad before dinner.” ...

Punishing students for poor performance may be more effective than rewarding them for doing well, according to a recent study conducted by researchers at Washington University in St. Louis. In an ...

One part of the basal ganglia, known as the nucleus accumbens (NAc), is composed of medium spiny neurons (MSNs). The MSNs, in which the dopamine D1 receptor (D1R) and dopamine D2 receptor (D2R) ...

Your small business must achieve the goals you set so it can succeed. However, you must achieve those goals by motivating others in your organization. The threat of punishment has long been ...

"You can have ice cream if you finish all your homework." "I’ll give you a lollipop if you sit in the dentist chair." "We will stop at McDonald's on the way home if you behave in the car." Do these ...

Researchers discover that the phosphorylation of a newly identified protein kinase substrate downstream of the dopamine signaling pathway regulates the brain reward behavior. The nucleus accumbens, ...