Hmm, it was like somewhere in the late eighties, and I visited a guy who even back then was experimenting with making a computer think like a human. His programmed brain was basically running on pain feedback, as he explained it to me. And I still to this day remember my first thought when he told me that: "I think positive feedback would work better" .
Looking back I think it is the balance of both that works best, as I see my eldest daughter interact with my grandson. She focuses primarily on positive feedback, even to the point of pampering him, but he still has to learn to handle the occasional mishap like falling flat on his face if he runs too fast.