My two best friends are Behaviour Analysts - so this is an apology to them if I get this all wrong.

Renita made a freudian slip last week and said the words, Intimate Reinforcement. I forgot what she was supposed to say but that phrase stuck with me.

Intimate Reinforcement - I am going to loosely define as the change in response due the addition or removal of an emotional (maybe unknown, like flirting) response.

For example, the doorman at Holt Renfrew always greets me with a smile, so I always feel welcome at the department store.

The ladies at Beestung Lingerie call me by my first name when entering their store, and I feel welcome and my trust level with them and their service increases.

For the online world, an example could be entering a site, going through a series of strategic pages and it giving me a great offer due to my path. Or, being an online brand contributor and getting 'perks' for being a fan...

This is still a thought-process in progress so let me know what you think.