Negative Reinforcement

Definition: This is similar to the concept of a reward. Essentially, this is when something negative is removed from a person’s experience as a way to increase the likelihood of a behavior happening again. For example, if a child studies hard for a test and the parent rewards the child by not making him do chores, it is likely that this good studying behavior will recur. This is often used as part of cognitive-behavioral therapy for GAD, often with children. For more on CBT for GAD, click here.