Among its many postulates, behavioral psychology affirms that behavior is regulated through the addition or elimination of stimuli. In this way, the individual is able to assimilate and show desirable behaviors little by little.
For this reason, within pedagogy, sociology and other currents of behavioral guidance, negative reinforcement is discussed as an effective strategy to guide people to improve their behaviors and attitudes. In this Psychology-Online article, we will tell you what negative reinforcement is in psychology and you will see some examples that will help you know how to identify when it is appropriate or not to put this psychological technique into practice.
What is negative reinforcement
The theory of negative reinforcement was proposed by the American psychologist and researcher Burrhus Frederic Skinner, within his postulates on the . Specifically, negative reinforcement consists of eliminate or remove a stimulus that is annoying or uncomfortable for the person with the objective of enhance a behavior or behavior.
In other words, the unwanted stimulus is removed from the scene so that the person makes an effort so that it does not appear again. Within these negative stimuli we can talk about psychological or physical stimuli, since they seek to avoid discomfort or discomfort in individuals.
An example of negative reinforcement would be if you decide to eat a large dinner, but first take an antacid to avoid discomfort. In the same way, if you prepare to face a difficult day and adopt behaviors to avoid annoying moments, we would also talk about negative reinforcement.
Characteristics of negative reinforcement
As we mentioned, negative reinforcement is part of the operant conditioning proposed by . Therefore, it has to do with the fact that withdraw a stimulus and whose withdrawal involves a positive consequence for the person. Likewise, this behavioral technique has the following characteristics:
- Seeks to achieve a desired behavior.
- Does not take into account mental processesbut the person’s need to obtain a reward.
- Encourages behavior change.
- Generate fast results that are maintained over time.
- It is based on avoidance to prevent the behavior from appearing.
- Is ideal for reinforcingr learning.
It is essential to keep in mind that negative reinforcement must be applied in moderation and with great tact so that it meets the desired objective. Otherwise, it can become an element of personal coercion and can even cause some personal imbalance that limits social interaction.
Examples of negative reinforcement
One of the clearest examples of negative reinforcement is that of mother who scolds her children when they don’t clean your room. In this case, the direct consequence will be that boys or girls will tidy their room just out of the need to avoid their mother’s scolding. Next, we will show you other examples of negative reinforcement in children and adults so that you can better understand the concept.
Examples of negative reinforcement at school
Discover different examples of negative reinforcement in the classroom:
- When the teacher is correcting the students because they talk too much in the classroom and the students stop talking so that the teacher stops scolding.
- A teacher decides eliminate an assignment for struggling students and they have better grades.
- The teacher who threatens students with detention if they do not comply with the rules. Therefore, the students They try to do what they are asked to avoid negative reinforcementwhich in this case is retention.
- When students prepare for an evaluation with the intention of not getting bad grades.
Examples of negative reinforcement at home
Some of the examples of negative reinforcement in adults that apply at home are:
- Clean everything before going to work so that when you return everything is clean and orderly.
- Use ear protectors when sleeping with a person who snores heavily so that the noise does not affect your rest.
- Take out the trash of the house to avoid its bad smell.
Examples of negative reinforcement at work
In the workplace, cases of negative reinforcement also occur, such as the following:
- A supervisor who decides eliminate hours from work days to those who demonstrate that they have greater productivity in sales or in their activities.
- The people who decide leave an hour early to arrive early to work and, in this way, avoid heavy traffic.
There is another behavioral psychological strategy that follows a methodology opposite to this one. If you want to know her, don’t miss this article about her.
Difference between negative reinforcement and punishment
Although people tend to confuse negative reinforcement with punishment, the reality is that they are two different concepts. To start negative reinforcement seeks to reduce bad behaviorwhile the punishment wants to eliminate it completely.
On the one hand, negative reinforcement eliminates the unpleasant stimulus only when good behavior is displayed, thereby increasing the possibility that that behavior will be maintained and repeated in the future.
For its part, the punishment implies an unpleasant consequence when the person has already committed the offense. Therefore, what punishment seeks is to ensure that the behavior is not repeated in the future, which is the opposite objective of negative reinforcement.
This article is merely informative, at Psychology-Online we do not have the power to make a diagnosis or recommend a treatment. We invite you to go to a psychologist to treat your particular case.
If you want to read more articles similar to What is negative reinforcement in psychology and exampleswe recommend that you enter our category.
Bibliography
- Nickerson, C. (2022, May 03). What is Negative Reinforcement? Simply Psychology. www.simplypsychology.org/negative-reinforcement.html
- Swenson, L. (1992). Learning theories. Paidos Iberica, Ediciones SA