Which behavior management strategy focuses on rewards rather than punishment?

The behavior management strategy that focuses on rewards rather than punishment is positive reinforcement. This approach emphasizes encouraging desirable behaviors by offering rewards or incentives when a student demonstrates those behaviors. The underlying principle of positive reinforcement is based on the idea that rewarding a specific behavior increases the likelihood that it will be repeated in the future.

For example, if a teacher praises a student each time they complete their homework on time or provides a small reward for good behavior, it reinforces that behavior. This fosters a supportive learning environment and promotes intrinsic motivation among students, enabling them to associate positive outcomes with behaviors that contribute to their success.

In contrast, other strategies, such as negative reinforcement, logical consequences, and behavior modification, may focus more on addressing undesirable behaviors through different means. Negative reinforcement involves removing an unpleasant stimulus to increase a desired behavior but does not inherently involve rewards. Logical consequences are designed to help students understand the relationship between their actions and the resulting outcomes, rather than directly rewarding them for positive behavior. Behavior modification encompasses various techniques, including both reinforcement and punishment, aimed at changing behavior patterns, but it does not exclusively focus on rewards as positive reinforcement does.