This  assignment will be based on Positive and Aversive (negative) approaches  to reinforcing behaviors in athletes.. Make sure you  can distinguish between the following terms and be able to make  application to the positive shaping of an athletes behavior. Positive  Reinforcement, Negative Reinforcement, Aversive Control, Positive  Control, Response Cost. All of these can be use to shape athletes  behavior but the overuse of one or the use of these in the wrong  circumstances may hinder an athletes true potential, cause them to drop  out of sport or even create an anxiety prone athlete.   

Based on your understanding of the different stimuli you can offer athletes, please answer the following questions;    
1.  Which type of stimuli do you think you use most often in your current  position to influence appropriate behavior in your coaching, teaching or  administration? Why do you use this type and/or provide an example.    
2.  Based on your current knowledge, please explain when you think it is  best or most appropriate to use aversive control. Please use an example  in order to clarify your answer.    
3. Explain why Response Cost (That’ll cost you) form of punishment is better in shaping behavior than aversive control?    
4.  Using appropriate stimuli to shape behavior is vital to the development  of an athlete. That stimulus along with positive reinforcement has  demonstrated extremely positive results in research studies on  reinforcement. This is a major factor in the development of Intrinsic  Motivation. We will cover this in more detail in future sections but for  now provide a brief explanation for the value of connecting  reinforcement with intrinsic motivation that can made by coaches,  teachers or administrators.