Reward and Punishment in Human Learning

Elements of a Behavior Theory

Reward and Punishment in Human Learning: Elements of a Behavior Theory provides a different approach to the study of reward and punishment, emphasizing what is learned when a response is rewarded and how does this differ from what is learned when a response is punished. This book discusses the distortions in impressions of success, accuracy in recall of reward and punishment, and determinants of outcome-recall. The role of open-task attitudes in motor learning, effects of isolated punishments, and structural isolation in the closed-task situation are also elaborated. This publication is intended for psychologists, but is also helpful to teachers, executives, prison officials, psychotherapists, and parents.

PREFACE The roles of reward and punishment in shaping human and animal
behavior have long been subjects of study by ... or to modify the behavior of
others—that is, persons such as teachers, executives, prison officials,
psychotherapists, and, ... The approach taken in this volume is indicated by a
different question, once regarded as of fundamental importance in ... by the first
author (Nuttin, 1947; 1949, 1964), this is the first English presentation for most of
this material, PREFACE.