Thread: Positive reinforcement

Iv been finding it harder lately to refrain from responding to my almost step brother so i thought id take a page out of The Big Bang theory and use positive, perhaps negative reinforcement. Anyway i was looking for some suggestions for what to use. He is 9 years old. The conditions are he cannot eat artificial additives, i want it to be subtle and something he wont make a big deal of, and i would rather my dad and his mum not know about it.

You want to respond to what? You never stated what kind of help advice you wanted.

Are we supposed to help you convince him that science is awesome?
Are we supposed to help you convince him that a particular theory is true?
Are we supposed to give you ideas of how to sneak artificial addatives into his food without his knowlege, so when he freaks out over them, you can say "hey look you've been eating them for X amount of time"?

You listed a condition that he cannot eat artificial additives. Ok, that is kind of useful, but still meaningless when we don't know what to help you with.

sorry bout that. Basically its his behavior, (im not sure how natural it is though hes had lack of attention from his father issues) where he may sing randomly adding lyrics designed to wind up his sister or with toilet words. Sometimes he will attempt to kiss someone repeatedly or sing "I love you" to them(in a voice obviously not sincere). He may try to start an argument with his sister so that he can find some reason to have her told of. He is condescending especially to his sister. On the whole he seeks attention which would be fine but he keeps demanding it past the point that you can give.

You need to reinforce those behaviors which ARE good. You need to find ways to get him the attention he seeks in more fruitful and productive ways. Instead though, you seem to be asking how to extinguish these specific behaviors (that's the clinical term... "extinguish" so google that for ideas).

I understand that i reinforce positive actions. I was thinking that when he responds to something in a controlled way i would reinforce that and if he has been acting up then when he stops i would give him the reinforcement.