What is an example of negative reinforcement as indicated by a therapist?

• A. A child receives praise for good behavior
• B. A client no longer records activities if he maintains a sober lifestyle
• C. A person feels bad for making a mistake
• D. A student studies harder after failing a test

Answer: (B)

Negative reinforcement involves the removal of an unfavorable outcome or stimuli to increase the likelihood of a desired behavior being repeated. In this context, when a client no longer records activities because he maintains a sober lifestyle, it indicates that the act of recording was initially an unpleasant or burdensome task linked to his past behavior. By achieving sobriety, he removes the need to engage in that activity, which reinforces his commitment to maintain a sober lifestyle.

This illustrates how eliminating a negative condition—such as the requirement to track activities—can encourage positive behavior, thereby exemplifying negative reinforcement. In contrast, other options describe different concepts, such as rewards for good behavior, feelings of guilt, or efforts to improve performance following failure, but without connecting them to the removal of an adverse stimulus leading to behavior change.