For many parents, the concept of negative reinforcement may seem intimidating. The term “negative” itself implies something that is unpleasant. However, negative reinforcement in ABA is a specific behavioral term that is not related to punishment and does not carry negative connotations.
In ABA, negative reinforcement occurs when an undesirable stimulus is removed, or when someone helps a person avoid that stimulus following the behavior. Thus, the behavior is repeated. For ABA specialists, understanding negative reinforcement helps identify the motivations for the behavior and teach communication skills.
The goal of ABA therapy is not only to eliminate a behavior but also to help the child develop the needed skills.
Negative Reinforcement in ABA
In negative reinforcement, one either removes or avoids an aversive stimulus to increase the chances of a particular behavior.
One of the simplest ways of comprehending the meaning of the term would be through splitting it into two words:
- Negative refers to the fact that something is being removed
- Reinforcement refers to the consequence that makes a behavior more probable
So, negative reinforcement does not mean “negative behavior.” It describes what happens after a behavior.
The Effects of Negative Reinforcement
Negative reinforcement can strongly influence behavior because the person experiences relief when an unpleasant situation ends or becomes avoidable.
Negative reinforcement can:
- Increase an appropriate behavior
- Strengthen communication that helps a person cope with difficult situations
- Increase escape or avoidance responses when those responses consistently remove unpleasant demands
- Help therapists identify the function behind a behavior
The same principle may explain why particular behaviors continue. When one’s yelling, striking, falling down, or refusal to do something results in elimination of the problem request, it is said that such a behavior helps escape the situation.
10 Negative Reinforcement Examples
Negatively reinforced behaviors can occur in real-life scenarios and during ABA sessions. The core issue in determining negative reinforcement is always the following question:
Is the undesired situation avoided or terminated because the behavior increases?
Example 1: Asking for a Break While Doing Something Difficult
While working on a difficult task, a child becomes upset and overwhelmed. Rather than saying no or behaving inappropriately, he says, “I need a break.”
He gets an approved break from the activity. The child may become more likely to use the appropriate break request during future difficult activities. Removing the task after the request can reinforce the communication behavior.
Functional communication training often uses this type of approach for behaviors maintained by escape from demands.
Example 2: Requesting Help Instead of Refusing
A child struggles to complete a puzzle and pushes it away. A therapist teaches the child to say, “Help me.”
When the child makes the appropriate request, the therapist provides assistance and reduces the task’s difficulty.
The child gains a useful communication skill rather than resorting to refusal. If the child increasingly uses requests for help, the consequence has reinforced that communicative response.
Example 3: Turning Off an Unpleasant Sound
Here is a simple example from our everyday lives. An alarm keeps ringing until the person performs the intended action, such as buckling their seatbelt.
The person performs the intended task of buckling the seatbelt; hence, the alarm stops. This will make the person more likely to buckle up in the future.
This example demonstrates the basic principle without involving punishment. The IRIS Center at Vanderbilt University also describes negative reinforcement as the removal of an unwanted stimulus after a desired behavior, thereby increasing the likelihood of that behavior occurring again.
Example 4: Completing Part of a Difficult Activity
A child finds a particular learning activity challenging. The therapist divides the activity into smaller parts. After the child completes an agreed portion, the therapist removes that portion of the demand and provides a planned pause.
The child may become more willing to participate because they learn that appropriate participation reduces the difficulty of the task.
Therapists must carefully plan this approach. However, they must not eliminate demands solely because of difficult behavior, particularly if their evaluation indicates that the function of that behavior is escape.
Example 5: Communication in Exiting an Uncomfortable Environment
Sometimes children may feel uncomfortable in certain social settings. The therapist can train the child to say, “I need space,” or even to use the correct break card.
Once the child does this, the therapist will help the child leave the situation for a while.
The child will learn how to express discomfort using an acceptable means of communication. However, therapists must determine the cause of the behavior.
Example 6: Reducing Prompts After Independent Responding
A therapist may initially give several prompts to help a child complete a routine. As the child begins responding independently, the therapist removes unnecessary prompts.
If independent responding increases because the child avoids repeated prompting, removing prompts can function as negative reinforcement.
This approach can support independence when therapists use it carefully and measure the child’s progress.
Example 7: Taking a Break From an Unpleasant Sensory Situation
A child may struggle with a particular sound, environment, or activity. Instead of attempting to instruct the child to disengage from the situation by screaming or using other maladaptive techniques, the therapist can teach an adaptive way to request privacy.
Afterward, when the child makes such a request, the therapist would assist the child to disengage from the aversive stimuli.
This is a better way to communicate the child’s needs. ABA therapists should consider each child’s needs individually.
Example 8: Requesting a Change in a Difficult Task
A child may struggle with a particular assignment. The child learns to request, “Can I do something else?”
The therapist responds according to the child’s individualized treatment plan and may temporarily modify the task.
The child can then learn that appropriate communication provides a better way to handle difficult demands.
Example 9: Completing a Task Before Receiving a Planned Break
A therapist may set a clear expectation, such as completing five simple tasks before taking a short break.
When the child completes the required work per the agreement, the therapist terminates the work demand for the break.
Slowly but surely, the child begins to exhibit more desirable engagement with the task because the behavior provides a brief escape from the demand.
There is an option to apply this procedure alongside other reinforcers, depending on the child and the therapy goal.
Example 10: An Appropriate Response to Escape from an Unpleasant Demand
A child may have previously thrown materials when an adult presented a difficult task. A functional assessment shows that escape from the task maintains the behavior.
The therapist teaches the child to request a break instead. When the child uses the appropriate request, the therapist provides the planned break. The child now has a functional alternative to throwing materials.
This example illustrates one of the most important ideas in ABA: therapists can use the function of an existing behavior to teach a safer, more useful replacement behavior.
The Significance of Knowing About Reinforcement Methods
Parents will most likely hear terms like positive reinforcement, negative reinforcement, punishment, prompting, and extinction during ABA therapy sessions. At first, these terms may be difficult to comprehend.
Knowing these basic concepts will help parents follow their child’s program and ask better questions about the purpose of these approaches.
Difference between Positive and Negative Reinforcement
Positive and negative reinforcement both work to increase a certain behavior. The difference involves what happens after the behavior.
- Positive reinforcement adds something after a behavior
- Negative reinforcement takes away an unpleasant thing after a particular behavior
Positive and negative only mean that something is being added or taken away. This says nothing about how good or bad the stimulus is.
Negative Reinforcement and Punishment
Negative reinforcement and punishment have different objectives. Namely:
- Negative reinforcement increases behavior
- Punishment reduces behavior
For example, if a child makes a proper request for a break and it is granted, the child’s behavior is being reinforced through negative reinforcement.
Effects of Negative Reinforcement on Behaviors
Negative reinforcement can help strengthen desired behaviors, especially when therapists use it to encourage functional communication.
At the same time, the same procedure can increase undesired behaviors if the situation is constantly relieved of an aversive stimulus following a particular behavior.
For example, imagine that a child screams whenever homework begins. Each time the child screams, an adult removes the homework. The child will learn that screaming helps get rid of homework.
Alternatively, an ABA therapist will conduct a behavioral assessment and provide a functional alternative, such as help-seeking or taking a break.
For parents seeking ABA therapy in Colorado, this difference can help illustrate the importance of individualized treatment plans.
The therapist needs to examine the behavior, environment, communication, and treatment goals of the particular child, and not use a single method of reinforcement for all children.
How Negative Reinforcement Can Be Used Appropriately in ABA Services
Appropriate ABA practice requires analyzing the function of the behavior. The therapist should ask what happened before the behavior, what the child did, and what happened immediately after.
A responsible approach may involve:
- Identifying the function of the behavior
- Teaching an appropriate replacement response
- Reinforcing functional communication
- Determining whether the behavior change occurred
- Changing the treatment plan if there is no evidence to support the predicted outcome
- Accounting for the likes, dislikes, abilities, environment, and other needs of the child
It is important that the purpose of the strategy is not only to have the child agree to the demand. Behavior intervention should aid the child in communicating, participating, learning, coping, and becoming more independent.
When Negative Reinforcement May Not Be the Most Suitable Approach
Negative reinforcement does not necessarily make the best approach for a given behavior.
The child may respond differently to approaches such as positive reinforcement, visual aids, prompting, task modification, and choice-making. The therapist needs to individualize the intervention and not use just one approach all the time.
Families should also avoid trying to create or remove unpleasant situations on their own simply to change behavior. A competent Board Certified Behavior Analyst may assist in determining the purpose of behavior and determining which intervention to apply.
FAQs
1. What does negative reinforcement mean in ABA treatment?
Negative reinforcement in ABA refers to the removal of an aversive stimulus following the occurrence of a behavior, thereby increasing the likelihood of its recurrence.
2. Is negative reinforcement the same as punishment?
No. Negative reinforcement increases behavior, while punishment aims to decrease it. “Negative” refers to removing something, not harming or criticizing the child.
3. Can negative reinforcement increase challenging behavior?
Yes. If challenging behavior consistently removes an unpleasant demand, it may become stronger. A therapist can identify the function of the behavior and teach a more appropriate replacement behavior.
4. Why do ABA therapists use negative reinforcement?
Therapists may use negative reinforcement to strengthen useful behaviors, such as functional communication, appropriate break requests, and task participation. Its use should depend on the child’s needs and treatment data.
5. What should parents ask about negative reinforcement in ABA?
Parents can ask which behavior the therapist wants to increase, what consequence reinforces it, what function the current behavior serves, and how progress is measured.
6. Does every child respond to negative reinforcement in the same way?
No. Preferences, communication abilities, sensory needs, learning history, and the environment can affect how a child responds. Therapists should consider these differences when creating treatment plans.
Conclusion
In ABA, negative reinforcement involves an increase in the occurrence of a particular behavior through avoiding something unpleasant. Identifying what causes a behavior plays a critical role in selecting a strategy. Negative reinforcement, unlike punishment, seeks to increase the chances of a behavior recurring in the future rather than decreasing it.
ABA therapists and ABA practitioners need to select reinforcements based on children’s unique needs and goals. When applied appropriately, these reinforcements help develop communication, cognitive, and social skills, as well as independence.
New Dawn ABA therapy offers ABA services for children in Colorado, Missouri, and Kansas. It helps children develop useful skills and communicate their needs to others around them. Children can develop useful skills and participate in various activities with the appropriate behavioral techniques from therapists, as well as support from parents.
