Negative reinforcement is best described as:

• A. The removal of an aversive stimulus increases the probability of a behavior.
• B. The presentation of a desirable outcome following a behavior increases its occurrence.
• C. A behavior is learned by observing others.
• D. A stimulus is added to decrease a behavior.

Answer: (A)

Negative reinforcement strengthens a behavior by removing an unpleasant stimulus after the behavior occurs. This means the behavior is more likely to happen again because it helps avoid or escape something aversive. For example, buckling your seatbelt stops a loud warning beeping; the removal of that aversive sound makes you more likely to buckle up in the future. This is different from positive reinforcement, which adds a pleasant outcome to increase a behavior, and from punishment, which aims to decrease a behavior by adding something undesirable or taking away something desirable.