In operant conditioning, removing an aversive stimulus after a behavior increases the likelihood of that behavior. This is called:

In operant conditioning, removing an aversive stimulus after a behavior increases the likelihood of that behavior. This is called:

• A. Positive reinforcement
• B. Negative reinforcement
• C. Punishment
• D. Extinction

Answer: (B)

Negative reinforcement is when a behavior is strengthened by removing an unpleasant condition after the behavior occurs. The person or animal learns that doing the behavior ends the aversive situation, so they’re more likely to repeat it. For example, buckling a seat belt stops a loud beeping, so buckling becomes more likely in the future. This differs from positive reinforcement, which adds something pleasant after the behavior to increase it, from punishment, which introduces an unpleasant outcome to decrease the behavior, and from extinction, which happens when reinforcement is no longer given and the behavior fades.

Negative reinforcement is when a behavior is strengthened by removing an unpleasant condition after the behavior occurs. The person or animal learns that doing the behavior ends the aversive situation, so they’re more likely to repeat it. For example, buckling a seat belt stops a loud beeping, so buckling becomes more likely in the future. This differs from positive reinforcement, which adds something pleasant after the behavior to increase it, from punishment, which introduces an unpleasant outcome to decrease the behavior, and from extinction, which happens when reinforcement is no longer given and the behavior fades.