Negative reinforcement

Definition

Negative reinforcement in plain English

Negative reinforcement is a way of making a behavior happen MORE often by taking away something unpleasant when the behavior occurs — the word 'negative' here means 'removing something,' not 'punishment.' The relief of the annoying thing going away is the reward, so you learn to repeat whatever made it stop. Classic example: your car buzzes until you buckle your seatbelt, so buckling up removes the annoying noise — and because the buzzing stops, you're more likely to buckle right away next time. Don't confuse it with punishment (which decreases a behavior); negative reinforcement always strengthens the behavior it follows.

Learn these first

• Operant conditioning

Related MCAT terms

• Absolute threshold
• Big Five personality (OCEAN)
• Classical conditioning
• Cognitive dissonance
• Demographic transition
• Endocrine hormones (key)
• Erikson's psychosocial stages
• Fundamental attribution error
• Health disparities
• Heuristic