I am a strong believer in the power of positive reinforcement to elicit positive behavioral changes in others. I generally ascribe to the idea that, in relationships with men, it is best to reward good behavior and ignore him when he behaves badly. This does not mean I ignore his behavior, but rather, that I give him less attention and less of my time; if he continues the undesirable behavior, he gets cut off. Rewarding him, on the other hand, consists of attention, affection, and verbal affirmation. For me, these tactics seem to work just as well in men as they do while training puppies.

I want to make clear that in relationships with men, I am not impressed by him taking action on things that should be expected (such as participating in housework). Nevertheless, I am wondering if I should thank my partner when he does these, not because I am impressed, but as a means of reinforcing the good behavior. We all like to be thanked for our efforts right?

At the same time, I'm concerned that thanking him for this kind of thing might lead him to believe that said behavior was optional. I hope this is making sense.

What do others think? Should I reward good behavior in males even when it's expected if the intention behind it is to reinforce good behavior? Or will this backfire?