Absence of reinforcement is another form of neutral reinforcement.
If undesirable behaviour or performance is ignored and there is no
reinforcement either positive or negative, the behaviour will often disappear
if, at the same time, positive behaviour or performance is rewarded.
Many people, whether consciously or unconsciously, will move towards the
positive behaviour. This is particularly effective in a group situation at a
meeting or with people working together in a team environment.Summary
The goal of managers should be to create a climate with a minimum of anxiety
and a maximum of openness to new ideas.
The resulting energy, creativity, and dynamic participation by
employees pay big dividends to the organization not only in terms
of immediate profits but also in terms of the longer-term growth
and strength of the organization.
Positive reinforcement plays a key role in accomplishing these
ends. PPO are a very effective method of implementing a system
of positive reinforcement.
Example
In staff meetings, if an individual is excessively talkative and frequently
jumps in with irrelevant comments, simply ignore the interjections and
only recognize comments that are on the topic and contribute
something meaningful to the discussion.