Which statement defines negative reinforcement?

• A. The removal of an aversive stimulus following a behavior, increasing likelihood.
• B. The presentation of a stimulus after a behavior to decrease its future occurrence.
• C. The presentation of a reinforcing stimulus after a behavior, increasing its probability.
• D. Recording is the act of collecting data; reporting is communicating data.

Answer: (A)

Negative reinforcement strengthens a behavior by removing something aversive after the behavior occurs. The statement describing the removal of an aversive stimulus following a behavior, which makes that behavior more likely to happen again, is the correct definition. For example, if completing a task stops a loud buzzer, the task-getting done is more likely in the future because the aversive buzzer is removed. The other descriptions involve presenting a stimulus to influence behavior (either to decrease or increase it) or describe data collection, which are not negative reinforcement.