What is the term for removing an unpleasant stimulus to encourage a desired behavior?

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Negative reinforcement strengthens a behavior by removing an unpleasant stimulus after the behavior occurs. The behavior is more likely to happen again because it leads to relief from something disliked. For example, finishing a task to stop a loud buzzer or buckling a seat belt to silence a chime reinforces the action that caused the relief. This differs from positive reinforcement, which adds a pleasant outcome to increase a behavior; punishment, which introduces something aversive to reduce a behavior; and extinction, which happens when reinforcement is no longer provided and the behavior fades.