F. Skinnerfirst described the term in his theory ofoperant conditioning.
How Does Negative Reinforcment Work?
Aversive stimuli tend to involve some jot down of discomfort, either physical or psychological.
Verywell / Jessica Olah
Deciding to take an antacid before you indulge in a spicy meal is an example of negative reinforcement.
You engage in an action so that avoid a negative result.
One of the best ways to remember negative reinforcement is to think of it as something beingsubtractedfrom the situation.
There are two different types of negative reinforcement: example and avoidance learning.
Consider the following situations:
Can you identify the negative reinforcer in each of these examples?
By eliminating these undesirable outcomes, preventive behaviors become more likely to occur again in the future.
Negative vs.
This might involve offering praise, money, or other incentives.
Both positive and negative reinforcement work to increase the likelihood that a behavior will occur again in the future.
you could distinguish between the two by noticing whether something is being taken away or added to the situation.
If something desirable is being added, then it is positive reinforcement.
If something aversive is being taken away, then it is negative reinforcement.
Negative Reinforcement vs.
Punishment
One mistake that people often make is confusing negative reinforcement withpunishment.
Remember, however, that negative reinforcement involves theremovalof a negative condition to strengthen a behavior.
Punishment involves either presenting or taking away a stimulus toweakena behavior.
Last weekend, he went out to play with his friend without cleaning his room.
If you said that this wasan example of punishment, then you are correct.
Because Luke didn’t clean his room, his father punished him by making him do extra chores.
Psychotherapy
Negative reinforcement is often utilized as a part of addiction treatment andbehavioral therapy.
In behavioral therapy, negative reinforcement can help strengthen positive behaviors.
Effectiveness
Negative reinforcement can be an effective way to strengthen the desired behavior.
However, it is most effective when reinforcers are presented immediately following a behavior.
When a long period elapses between the behavior and the reinforcer, the response is likely to be weaker.
Some experts believe that negative reinforcement should be used sparingly in classroom options, whilepositive reinforcementshould be emphasized.
While negative reinforcement can produce immediate results, it may be best suited for short-term use.
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American Psychological Association.Negative reinforcement.
American Psychological Association.Aversive stimulus.
American Psychological Association.Positive reinforcement.
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