negative reinforcement
Noun
Meaning
negative reinforcement (uncountable)
The removal of a discouraging stimulus associated with a particular behaviour with the result that it is more likely to be repeated.
Coordinate term: positive reinforcement
Synonyms
Examples
Discover non-associative learning, like learning to ignore a fan blowing in a room, as well as associative learning, such as conditioning, through which positive and negative reinforcement can shape behaviors over time.
In the case of social deviance, an individual who has gone against a norm will feel the negative connotation that comes with defying the conditioning that was taught therefore indicating negative reinforcement.
Subsequently, in Science and Human Behavior (1953), Skinner redefined negative reinforcement.
When the child witnesses the mother putting her in a "time out", she realizes that if she were to paint on the wall again, it will lead to punishment therefore causing her to notice her negative reinforcement.
Upper management preferred negative reinforcement to a positive one.