Reward what you want more of

In the study of Organizational Behaviour, there is a module on the role of "Positive Reinforcement" in the Theories of Motivation.

If you want your child or partner to do something, then the best approach I've found, isn't to punish the behaviour I don't like. Instead, I reward the behavious I like.

Unfortunately, it's easy to forget this.

If your partner suddenly starts doing somethingpositive, such as calm down or admit you're right, it's tempting to throw in one final insult just to make sure you have the last word, and of course this doesn't help. Instead, reward positive behaviour with a smile, a loving touch or an enthusistic comment.