What method involves removing an adverse stimulant to strengthen a behavior?

Negative reinforcement is the method that involves removing an adverse stimulant to strengthen a behavior. This concept is rooted in behavioral psychology, where a behavior is encouraged through the removal of an unpleasant condition or stimulus. For example, if a student studies hard and, as a result, is able to avoid additional homework or extra reviews (the unpleasant stimulus), the act of studying is reinforced because it leads to a favorable outcome.

In this scenario, the focus is on the increase of a desired behavior—studying—when the negative stimulus (additional homework) is taken away. This underscores the idea that behaviors can be influenced not only by positive outcomes but also by the alleviation of negative situations. This method is distinct from positive reinforcement, which involves presenting a pleasant stimulus to promote a behavior. Behavioral modification refers more broadly to systematic approaches aimed at changing behavior and could include both reinforcement types. Extinction, on the other hand, involves the removal of reinforcement that maintains a behavior, leading to a decrease in that behavior over time.

Thus, negative reinforcement specifically pertains to the enhancement of behavior through the elimination of negative stimuli, making it the accurate choice in this context.