Final answer:
Negative reinforcement involves taking away an unpleasant stimulus to increase the likelihood of a behavior, which is a fundamental aspect of operant conditioning. b) Negative reinforcement
Step-by-step explanation:
Doing something to gain a reward or to avoid something unpleasant is part of negative reinforcement. Negative reinforcement involves the removal of an undesirable stimulus in order to increase the likelihood of a behavior being repeated. This concept is a key component of operant conditioning, a form of learning where behaviors are influenced by their consequences as described by B.F. Skinner.
In contrast to negative reinforcement, positive reinforcement involves adding a pleasant stimulus to increase a behavior, while punishment involves either presenting an unpleasant stimulus or removing a pleasant one to decrease a behavior. The practice of negative reinforcement is often used to encourage specific behaviors by taking away an aversive factor when the desired behavior is performed. This learning method reshapes behavior through the consistent application of consequences, either reinforcing or punishing, after the behavior occurs.