What does negative reinforcement involve?

Negative reinforcement involves the removal of an unpleasant stimulus to increase the likelihood of a desired behavior being repeated. By eliminating a negative condition, the subject experiences relief or a more favorable situation, which reinforces the behavior that led to that removal. For instance, if a teacher stops giving extra homework when a student demonstrates good behavior, that student is likely to repeat the good behavior to avoid the extra workload. This aligns with the core principle behind negative reinforcement, which is about strengthening behavior through the cessation of an adverse stimulus.

The other options do not accurately describe negative reinforcement. Providing more positive stimuli relates to positive reinforcement rather than negative. Adding extra workload contradicts the concept of removing something unpleasant, and formal disciplinary action typically relates to punitive measures rather than reinforcement, which is focused on encouraging desired behaviors.