What ABA term refers to something unpleasant or non-preferred?

What ABA term refers to something unpleasant or non-preferred?

• A. Positive reinforcement
• B. Unconditioned reinforcers
• C. Aversive
• D. Conditioned reinforcers

Answer: (C)

An aversive stimulus is any unpleasant or non-preferred event that an individual will try to avoid or escape. In ABA, aversives are the stimuli that, when presented after a behavior, tend to decrease that behavior (positive punishment), or that are removed to increase a behavior (negative reinforcement). The other terms describe reinforcers that strengthen behavior rather than unpleasantness: positive reinforcement adds something desirable, unconditioned reinforcers are basic needs, and conditioned reinforcers are learned. So the word that best fits “something unpleasant or non-preferred” is aversive.

An aversive stimulus is any unpleasant or non-preferred event that an individual will try to avoid or escape. In ABA, aversives are the stimuli that, when presented after a behavior, tend to decrease that behavior (positive punishment), or that are removed to increase a behavior (negative reinforcement). The other terms describe reinforcers that strengthen behavior rather than unpleasantness: positive reinforcement adds something desirable, unconditioned reinforcers are basic needs, and conditioned reinforcers are learned. So the word that best fits “something unpleasant or non-preferred” is aversive.