Socially Mediated Negative ReinforcementNegative Reinforcement occurs when an aversive stimulus is ... occurs when a behaviorBehavior refers to any activity or action that living organ... results in the removal or reduction of an aversive stimulusStimulus is defined as any change in the environment or for... through the actions of another person, increasing the likelihood that the behavior will occur again in similar situations. In this case, the reinforcement is socially mediated because the removal of the aversive stimulus is facilitated by someone else.
Example
A student complains of a headache during a difficult math assignment, and the teacher allows the student to leave the classroom and take a break. The student’s behavior (complaining) is reinforced because it leads to the removal of the unpleasant task (the math assignment), facilitated by the teacher (socially mediated). This increases the likelihood that the student will complain of a headache in the future to escape difficult tasks.