What occurs when a positive behavior leads to the removal of a negative consequence?

When a positive behavior leads to the removal of a negative consequence, it is referred to as negative reinforcement. This concept is grounded in operant conditioning, where behaviors are modified through their consequences. In the example of negative reinforcement, an individual is more likely to repeat a specific behavior because it results in the alleviation of an unpleasant stimulus.

For instance, if a student studies hard and, as a result, avoids feeling anxious about an upcoming test, the removal of anxiety reinforces the studying behavior. This incentivizes the individual to continue engaging in the behavior that led to the positive outcome of removing the negative feeling.

In contrast, positive reinforcement involves adding a pleasant stimulus to encourage a behavior, punishment introduces an unpleasant consequence to discourage a behavior, and extinction refers to the reduction of a behavior when it is no longer reinforced. Understanding these concepts helps to clarify how different forms of reinforcement and punishment can affect behavior within organizational settings.