Which type of reinforcement involves removing an aversive stimulus to increase behavior?

The correct response identifies negative reinforcement as the process that increases the likelihood of a behavior by removing an aversive stimulus. This concept is rooted in the idea that individuals are motivated to engage in behaviors that alleviate discomfort or unpleasant experiences.

For instance, if a student studies hard to avoid the anxiety of failing a test, the act of studying is negatively reinforced by the removal of that anxiety. Here, the removal of the aversive anxiety encourages the behavior of studying, thereby reinforcing it.

In contrast, positive reinforcement involves adding a desirable stimulus to encourage a behavior, such as giving a child a treat for doing their homework. Positive punishment refers to introducing an aversive stimulus to decrease a behavior, such as adding extra chores for misbehavior. Negative punishment involves taking away a pleasant stimulus to decrease a behavior, such as removing screen time when a child breaks a rule.