Behaviour modification

Pairing involves using two rewards at once: eg, a physical and a verbal. Eventually the less desirable becomes acceptable enough to reward behaviour by itself. For example, conditioned reinforcers are not automatically reinforcing. Stimuli or events which were once neutral in value may acquire reinforcing properties as a result of being paired with events which are already reinforcing — either primary or other conditioned reinforcers. By repeatedly presenting a neutral stimulus prior to or along with a reinforcing stimulus, the neutral stimulus becomes a reinforcer. For example, praise may not be reinforcing for some people: therefore to establish it as a reinforcer it must be paired with an event that is reinforcing, such as food or money. Then when a behaviour is performed, the individual is praised and reinforced with money. After several pairings of the praise with money, the praise alone will serve as a reinforcer.