Negative reinforcement is a concept in psychology that refers to the process of increasing the likelihood of a behavior occurring by removing an aversive stimulus when the behavior is performed. In simpler terms, negative reinforcement involves the removal of something unpleasant or undesirable in order to strengthen a particular behavior. Negative reinforcement is not a punishment procedure. A punishment procedure decreases the chances that a behavior will occur. Negative reinforcement increases the chances that a behavior will occur. Thus, it is a type of positive reinforcement.
To understand negative reinforcement more deeply, it’s essential to distinguish it from punishment, as they are often confused. While both negative reinforcement and punishment involve an aversive stimulus, they have different effects on behavior. Negative reinforcement increases the likelihood of a behavior, whereas punishment decreases it. The negative stimulus that occurs in negative reinforcement is not part of the reinforcing stimulus. For example, a person escapes getting wet when it starts raining by getting under an umbrella. The continuation of having dry clothes is the reinforcing stimulus, not the rain. The reinforcing stimulus, the feel of dry clothes, reinforces the behavior of putting up the umbrella.
Negative reinforcement operates on the principle of reinforcement, which suggests that behaviors followed by desirable consequences are more likely to be repeated in the future. In the case of negative reinforcement, the desirable consequence is the removal or avoidance of something unpleasant. This explanation is accurate, but it uses rather abstract action words to describe the reinforcing stimuli, removal and avoidance. In the illustration above that uses the avoidance of getting wet by using an umbrella when it’s raining, the reinforcing stimulus would better be identified as the feeling of dry clothes than that of avoiding getting wet. These ambiguities make the concept of negative reinforcement confusing.
There are two main types of negative reinforcement: escape and avoidance.
- Escape: In learning reinforced by escape, the individual learns that engaging in a particular behavior allows them to terminate an ongoing aversive stimulus. For example, consider a student who feels overwhelmed by a noisy classroom. By raising their hand and asking the teacher for permission to leave the room for a few minutes, the student successfully escapes the unpleasant noise. As a result, the behavior of raising their hand to request a break is reinforced because it leads to the removal of the aversive stimulus (the noise). It’s important to note that raising the hand and asking permission to leave the class is not the only behavior reinforced here. Walking out of the classroom is also reinforced.
- Avoidance: Avoidance conditioning involves learning a behavior to prevent an anticipated aversive stimulus from occurring altogether. This type of negative reinforcement is characterized by the individual’s ability to avoid the unpleasant situation entirely. For instance, imagine a person who dislikes public speaking and experiences anxiety before giving a presentation. To avoid this anxiety-provoking situation, the individual may procrastinate or make excuses to skip the presentation altogether. By doing so, they successfully avoid the anticipated aversive stimulus (the anxiety associated with public speaking), thereby reinforcing the behavior of avoidance. This example illustrates how imprecise negative reinforcement can be relative to the exact behavior that gets reinforced.
Negative reinforcement is pervasive in everyday life and can be observed in various contexts:
- Operant Conditioning in Education: Teachers often use negative reinforcement strategies to encourage desirable behaviors in students. For instance, a teacher might allow students to skip homework if they actively participate in class discussions. In this scenario, the removal of the homework assignment serves as a negative reinforcer for participating in class. This example highlights an important issue in behavior management. While the use of negative reinforcement may motivate students to participate in class, it’s use here teaches the students that homework is something that is less than desirable. It is something they should want to get out of doing. Thus, the negative reinforcement in this case produces effects that are not consistent with the aims of education and actually compete with those aims.
- Parenting Practices: Parents may inadvertently employ negative reinforcement techniques when attempting to modify their children’s behavior. For example, a child who throws a tantrum in a grocery store may prompt their parent to give in to their demands to stop the disruptive behavior. By complying with the child’s request, the parent removes the aversive stimulus (the tantrum), thereby increasing the chances that the behavior of throwing tantrums will occur in similar situations.
- Workplace Dynamics: Negative reinforcement can also influence behavior in the workplace. Suppose an employee consistently receives negative feedback from their supervisor for submitting reports late. To avoid this criticism, the employee begins to submit their reports on time, thereby removing the aversive stimulus (negative feedback) and reinforcing the behavior of timely report submission. However, an unintended effect of the negative feedback is that the workplace will begin to elicit negative feelings in the employees. This negative response may get generalized to other areas of work, decreasing employee motivation and satisfaction.
In summary, negative reinforcement involves the removal or avoidance of an aversive stimulus to strengthen a particular behavior. Negative reinforcement tends to be a powerful type of reinforcement. However, it can have unintended and negative effects on both behavior and the context in which it occurs. While it can produce effects similar to positive reinforcement, it can simultaneously produce effects similar to punishment procedures. Nevertheless, negative reinforcement is one tool in the behavior management toolbox. It also represents one way behavior works. By understanding the principles of negative reinforcement and its real-world applications, individuals can effectively modify behavior in various contexts, whether in education, parenting, or the workplace.