What is the term for increasing a behavior by stopping or removing a negative outcome?

The concept of increasing a behavior by stopping or removing a negative outcome is known as negative reinforcement. This psychological principle operates on the idea that behaviors can be encouraged when something unpleasant is taken away or avoided as a result of that behavior. For example, if a student studies hard, their anxiety about exam performance may decrease; the removal of anxiety reinforces the studying behavior.

Negative reinforcement is distinct from positive reinforcement, which involves adding a pleasant stimulus to enhance the likelihood of a behavior being repeated. Operational definition does not apply to behavior modification but rather refers to clearly defining a concept in measurable terms. Pairing typically refers to associative learning, where two stimuli are linked together in the mind of the learner, which is also unrelated to the reinforcement processes described. Understanding these distinctions is key for applying behavioral strategies effectively in various contexts, particularly in therapeutic settings.