You take two aspirin to relieve a headache. Thirty minutes later, the headache is gone. You are now more likely to take aspirin to deal with bodily aches and pains in the future. In other words, negative reinforcement by escape has occurred.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Negative reinforcement by escape occurs when a behavior is strengthened by the termination or avoidance of an unpleasant outcome. In this scenario, taking aspirin resulted in the termination of the unpleasant outcome (headache), thus reinforcing the behavior of taking aspirin to deal with bodily aches and pains in the future.

You Take Two Aspirin to Relieve a Headache