What is the term in operant conditioning where a response or behavior is strengthened by stopping, removing or avoiding a negative outcome or aversive stimulus?

The term that describes the strengthening of a response or behavior by stopping, removing, or avoiding a negative outcome or aversive stimulus is negative reinforcement. In operant conditioning, negative reinforcement occurs when a behavior is followed by the removal of an unpleasant stimulus, which increases the likelihood of that behavior being repeated in the future.

For instance, if a student studies hard to avoid receiving a poor grade, the act of studying is reinforced by the removal of the negative consequence (the bad grade). This helps solidify the connection between the behavior and its outcome, encouraging the student to continue studying to avoid similar negative experiences.

This concept is distinct from other related terms such as positive reinforcement, which involves the addition of a pleasant stimulus to encourage behavior. Punishment, on the other hand, serves to decrease the likelihood of a behavior, and neutral reinforcement does not influence the behavior because it doesn’t involve any reinforcement in the conditioning process.