Final answer:
Negative reinforcement in behavior modification is a technique that involves removing an undesirable stimulus to increase a positive behavior, as opposed to punishment which aims to decrease a behavior. This is employed in strategies like sticker charts for reinforcing good behavior in children without using punishment.
Step-by-step explanation:
Operant Conditioning and Behavior Modification
In the context of behavior modification, the technique described where a student is motivated to use a desired behavior to avoid a negative consequence is known as negative reinforcement. Negative reinforcement involves the removal of an undesirable stimulus to increase the likelihood of a positive behavior. For instance, when a car's seatbelt warning tone stops after you buckle up, it positively reinforces the act of wearing a seatbelt, thereby increasing the likelihood that you will buckle up in the future.
Behavior modification, particularly in children, often employs operant conditioning principles to encourage desirable behaviors and discourage misbehaviors. Instead of using punishment, it's more effective to use reinforcement to promote desired actions. A common example is using a sticker chart where children earn stickers for positive behaviors and a reward after accumulating a certain number of stickers.
Punishment, however, is different from negative reinforcement. While negative reinforcement aims to increase a behavior by removing an unpleasant stimulus, punishment, whether positive or negative, seeks to decrease a behavior. Positive punishment adds an undesirable stimulus to decrease a behavior, and negative punishment removes a pleasant one to achieve the same effect. Understanding the differences between these can be crucial for effective behavior modification.