The concept of 'Social Mediated Negative Reinforcing behaviors' may seem like a paradox. The term suggests that a behavior is reinforced by an action that removes or decreases the intensity of an aversive or negative stimulus, which is generally opposite to the traditional definition of negative reinforcement where the behavior is weakened by removing or decreasing the aversive.
Positive reinforcement occurs when a behavior is strengthened by the addition of a positive reinforcer, whereas negative reinforcement occurs when a behavior is weakened by the removal of an aversive or negative reinforcer. For example, if a child bites their hand when they want candy, the behavior is reinforced by the positive sensation that follows biting their hand. However, when the child bites their hand to escape the bath, the behavior is weakened by the removal of the painful experience of the bathwater.
In contrast, the process of positive reinforcement involves a response that is directly followed by a positive reinforcer. For example, a child might shake their head to get relief from discomfort, and then receive a treat, such as a smile from a caregiver. In contrast, negative reinforcement involves the process of escaping or avoiding an aversive or negative reinforcer. For example, a child might bite on their hand to escape a hot surface, and then the bite leads to the sensation of cooling their finger from the heat, resulting in a reduction of discomfort.
In socially mediated reinforcement, the consequence results from the action of another person. For example, a client who pinches an attendant may receive a break, which results in the behavior of pinching staff decreasing. In this case, there are two parties, the client and the attendant, and the negative reinforcement is provided by the attendant's decision to give the client a break.
The term 'negative reinforcement' does not imply that the behavior itself is negative or harmful. It is simply the process of escaping or avoiding an aversive or negative reinforcer. In contrast, the term 'positive reinforcement' implies that the behavior itself is inherently positive or beneficial. However, the terminology can be confusing and misleading in discussions about behavior modification in behavior analysis.