Subtracting an unpleasant stimulus to increase a behavior is called which concept?

Enhance your skills for the Combined MAPH, Learning, Intelligence, and Testing Test with interactive questions, flashcards, and thorough explanations. Prepare effectively for your examination to ensure success.

Multiple Choice

Subtracting an unpleasant stimulus to increase a behavior is called which concept?

Explanation:
Removing an unpleasant stimulus after a behavior occurs makes that behavior more likely to happen again. This is negative reinforcement: the behavior is strengthened because it leads to the removal of something aversive. For example, finishing a chore might stop a nagging voice, so you’re more likely to do chores in the future to avoid the nagging. It’s not about adding a pleasant stimulus to increase behavior (that would be positive reinforcement), not about taking away something desirable to decrease behavior (negative punishment), and not about adding something unpleasant to decrease behavior (positive punishment).

Removing an unpleasant stimulus after a behavior occurs makes that behavior more likely to happen again. This is negative reinforcement: the behavior is strengthened because it leads to the removal of something aversive. For example, finishing a chore might stop a nagging voice, so you’re more likely to do chores in the future to avoid the nagging. It’s not about adding a pleasant stimulus to increase behavior (that would be positive reinforcement), not about taking away something desirable to decrease behavior (negative punishment), and not about adding something unpleasant to decrease behavior (positive punishment).

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