Reducing Children's Pain Responses Using Positive Reinforcement

Positive reinforcement occurs when a reward sometimes called a reinforcer is given for a specific desired behavior. It can be a tangible object an activity something sensory or social. If the behavior increases or is maintained in order to receive the desired stimulus then it is a positive reinforcer. Pain is a subjective experience and no objective tests exist to measure it. Pain assessment in patients who are unable to verbally communicate with medical staff is a challenging problem.