reinforcement
reinforcement — noun
1. the process of making an existing idea, belief, or behaviour stronger, especiall
the process of making an existing idea, belief, or behaviour stronger, especially by adding evidence, praise, or repetition
The teacher's praise served as reinforcement for the children's efforts in class.
served as + reinforcement + for (abstract use)
Sahil only read news that confirmed his opinions, giving his political beliefs constant reinforcement.
The school's anti-bullying campaign provided constant reinforcement of the message that every student deserves respect.
Her manager's praise gave Jenna the reinforcement she needed to improve her sales technique.
- strengthening
more general and slightly less formal than reinforcement
- support
broader meaning; can be emotional or structural without necessarily making stronger
- bolstering
more emphatic, often used for abstract things like confidence or morale
- weakening
the opposite process of making something less strong or effective
文法句型
reinforcement + of + noun phrase
用法筆記
Can be uncountable when referring to the process (the reinforcement of good habits) or countable when referring to a specific instance of strengthening (each compliment was a reinforcement of her confidence). Typically used with abstract ideas, beliefs, feelings, and behaviour patterns.
常見錯誤
2. additional soldiers, police officers, or military equipment sent to help a force
additional soldiers, police officers, or military equipment sent to help a force that needs more people or resources
The commander called for reinforcements as soon as the enemy attack began.
call for + reinforcements
Police reinforcements arrived on the scene just as the protest was growing larger.
The soldiers at the front line were exhausted and desperately waiting for reinforcements.
Shirin listened to the radio dispatch announcing that reinforcements were two hours away.
文法句型
call for + reinforcements
send + reinforcements
arrival of + reinforcements
用法筆記
Almost always used in the plural form (reinforcements) when referring to additional troops or police. The singular is uncommon in this military/police sense.
常見錯誤
3. a material or device added to a structure or object to give it extra strength, e
a material or device added to a structure or object to give it extra strength, especially in building, engineering, or manufacturing
The concrete wall contains steel reinforcement to prevent cracks from forming.
steel + reinforcement (material collocation)
Fiberglass reinforcement was added to the boat hull to make it more durable.
Asher used metal reinforcement to fix the broken leg of the old wooden table.
The construction team installed additional reinforcement around the windows.
The bridge required steel reinforcement to handle the increased traffic loads.
文法句型
noun + reinforcement
reinforcement + for + noun
用法筆記
Often used without an article when referring to a type of material in general (steel reinforcement). Countable when pointing to a specific object or device (a metal reinforcement was installed in the beam).
常見錯誤
4. in psychology, a stimulus, reward, or response that makes a person or animal mor
in psychology, a stimulus, reward, or response that makes a person or animal more likely to repeat a particular behavior in the future
Positive reinforcement, such as giving a child a treat for completing homework, builds good habits.
positive + reinforcement (key technical distinction)
The dog trainer used food as reinforcement to teach the puppy to sit and stay.
Negative reinforcement strengthens a behavior by removing something unpleasant, like stopping a loud noise when a rat presses a lever.
Yael's professor used different schedules of reinforcement to speed up the rats' learning in the lab.
- reward
non-technical and broader; lacks the formal theoretical framework that reinforcement has in psychology
- reinforcer
the technical term for the specific stimulus that produces reinforcement
- punishment
the opposite process in behavior modification — it decreases the likelihood of a behavior being repeated
文法句型
positive + reinforcement
negative + reinforcement
reinforcement + of + behavior
用法筆記
In psychology, positive reinforcement means adding a desirable stimulus to increase a behavior. Negative reinforcement means removing an unpleasant stimulus to increase a behavior. Both increase the target behavior — this is a common point of confusion for learners who think 'negative reinforcement' means punishment.