"Alison" wrote in message
...
"Tara Green" wrote in message
...
.
But some of us here actually *are* trainers, and I think its really
great to be able to discuss certain situations

That's changing the subject. Whether or not a
certain term is used to describe a certain type of training wouldn't
change whether or not a full spectrum of training methods would be
allowed on PP (or "QQ" or "SS" or "TT") training boards.

Sure, I can start another thread if you like but it would save time to
carry on from here.
You use the term PP. If you were having a discussion here or on a forum
and you used the term PP, if someone asked you what PP was as they didn't
understand the term, as a trainer how would you explain it?

The problem is with the emotional loading of the terms positive and
negative, and even to some extent the terms reinforcement (sometimes also
called reward), and punishment.

Perhaps the positive (+) is better termed "added", and negative (-) called
"removed" or subtracted.

Then the terms "punishment" might be called an "aversive" or "reduction
stimulus", while "reinforcement" seems to be self-explanatory as a stimulus
or action that promotes and encourages the activity.

But it is further complicated by the fact that the negative terms actually
refer to the addition or removal of a stimulus or input, and not the
promotion or reduction of the desired behavior.

And the same principles can be applied to unwanted behavior, where R+ makes
a behavior worse.

The principles are rather simple and obvious. The terms are confusing. And
added to that is the fact that they are often reversed, as in +P and -R.
They are never properly termed with two letters like PP.

Paul and Muttley