reinforcement

reinforcement definition - medical

re·in·force·ment (rēˌĭn-fôrsˈmənt)

noun
  1. The act or process of reinforcing.
  2. Something that reinforces.
  3. The occurrence or experimental introduction of an unconditioned stimulus along with a conditioned stimulus.
  4. The strengthening of a conditioned response by such means.
  5. An event, a circumstance, or a condition that increases the likelihood that a given response will recur in a situation like that in which the reinforcing condition originally occurred.

The American Heritage® Medical Dictionary Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

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