renforcement

Renforcement is not a standard term in English and is most often encountered as a misspelling of reinforcement. The noun reinforcement generally denotes something that strengthens or supports, while the verb reinforce means to make stronger. The concept appears across disciplines with related but distinct usages, and in some languages a cognate term exists that conveys strengthening.

In psychology and behavioral sciences, reinforcement refers to a consequence that increases the likelihood of a behavior being repeated. Positive reinforcement adds a favorable outcome after a behavior, while negative reinforcement strengthens a behavior by removing an unpleasant condition. Reinforcement is a key element of operant conditioning and is distinguished from punishment, which aims to decrease a behavior.

In materials science and engineering, reinforcement denotes materials added to a matrix to improve mechanical properties such as strength, stiffness, or durability. Common examples include fiber reinforcement in composites and steel reinforcement bars in concrete, which together produce materials with enhanced load-bearing capabilities.

In civil and structural engineering, reinforced concrete combines concrete with steel reinforcement to improve tensile strength and crack resistance. Design considerations include the bond between steel and concrete, corrosion protection, serviceability, and safety under various loading conditions.

In computer science and artificial intelligence, reinforcement refers to the broader idea of reinforcing desirable behavior through feedback. Reinforcement learning, a specific subfield, trains agents by rewarding preferred actions to maximize cumulative reward over time.

See also: reinforcement learning, reinforced concrete, fiber reinforcement. Etymologically, the English term derives from reinforce; in some languages, renforcement or similar forms appear to mean strengthening.