By Jason Hreha

Glossary

Negative Reinforcement

Reviewed by Jason Hreha

Published 1 min read

What is negative reinforcement?

Negative reinforcement occurs when removing an aversive stimulus after a behavior makes that behavior more likely. It is a principle of operant conditioning: behavior changes with its consequences.

“Negative” means something is removed, not that the behavior is bad. Reinforcement increases behavior. Punishment decreases it, either by adding an aversive consequence or removing something valued.

Negative reinforcement example

Suppose pressing a button stops an unpleasant noise. If that consequence makes pressing the button more likely, the removal of the noise has negatively reinforced the action.

Pressing a button stops an unpleasant noise; because of that consequence, button pressing becomes more likely.
In this hypothetical example, removing the noise increases later button pressing. Negative means removed. Punishment, by contrast, decreases behavior.
Read the diagram

Suppose a button stops an unpleasant noise. If stopping the noise makes button pressing more likely in the future, removal of the noise has negatively reinforced the action. Punishment is defined by a decrease in behavior, whether something is added or removed.

Sources: B. F. Skinner, Science and Human Behavior

Source: Science and Human Behavior.