What best describes negative reinforcement?

Negative reinforcement refers to the process of increasing the likelihood of a behavior by removing an aversive stimulus. This concept operates on the idea that when a behavior results in the removal of something unpleasant or aversive, the individual is more likely to repeat that behavior in the future to experience the same relief.

For example, consider a scenario where a student finds it difficult to focus on their work due to loud noises in the environment. If the student uses noise-canceling headphones and, as a result, is able to concentrate better, the act of putting on the headphones (the behavior) is reinforced by the removal of the noise (the aversive stimulus). This reinforcement increases the likelihood that the student will continue to use the headphones when studying in a disruptive environment.

This understanding of negative reinforcement is crucial in applied behavior analysis as it helps practitioners develop strategies that can effectively promote desirable behaviors by addressing unwanted conditions or stimuli in a person's environment.