What type of reinforcement involves providing a consequence that strengthens a behavior by removing an aversive stimulus?

Negative reinforcement is a concept in behavioral psychology that serves to strengthen a behavior by removing an aversive stimulus following that behavior. When a behavior results in the removal of something unpleasant, it increases the likelihood that the behavior will be repeated in the future. For example, if a child is allowed to escape a loud noise by completing their homework, the removal of the noise reinforces the homework completion behavior.

In contrast, positive reinforcement involves adding a pleasant stimulus to increase a behavior, such as giving a child a treat for doing their chores. Punishment is used to decrease a behavior by introducing an aversive consequence or removing a pleasant stimulus. Extinction refers to the process of stopping reinforcement for a previously reinforced behavior, leading to a decrease in that behavior over time. Thus, negative reinforcement specifically emphasizes the removal of aversive stimuli to promote desirable behaviors.