Positive reinforcement involves:

Positive reinforcement involves the addition of something enjoyable or rewarding following a desired behavior, which increases the likelihood of that behavior being repeated in the future. This concept is fundamental in behavior management and learning theories. For instance, if a child receives praise or a treat for completing their homework, that positive feedback serves to reinforce the behavior of completing homework, making it more likely the child will repeat that behavior in the future.

In contrast, the removal of something unpleasant typically refers to negative reinforcement, which still strengthens a behavior but does so by ending an aversive condition. Decreasing a behavior would align more closely with punishment, which aims to reduce the occurrence of undesirable behaviors rather than promote desired ones. Similarly, the threat of punishment does not align with reinforcement as it does not involve the introduction of rewarding stimuli to encourage positive behavior.

Thus, the correct understanding of positive reinforcement is centered around the addition of pleasant stimuli to reinforce and encourage specific behaviors.