What term describes the behavior designed to prevent an aversive outcome before it occurs?

What term describes the behavior designed to prevent an aversive outcome before it occurs?

• A. Escape
• B. Punishment
• C. Avoidance
• D. Extinction

Answer: (C)

Avoidance behavior is when an action is taken to prevent an aversive outcome from occurring in the first place. The key idea is that the organism uses a cue or signal to predict something unpleasant and performs a behavior that stops that unpleasant event from happening, so the outcome is never experienced. This is reinforced because the aversive stimulus is avoided, making the behavior more likely to occur again in the future (negative reinforcement). This differs from escape, which would terminate the aversive stimulus after it has already begun. Extinction refers to the decrease of a previously reinforced behavior when reinforcement stops, and punishment involves adding something unpleasant after a response to reduce its likelihood.

Avoidance behavior is when an action is taken to prevent an aversive outcome from occurring in the first place. The key idea is that the organism uses a cue or signal to predict something unpleasant and performs a behavior that stops that unpleasant event from happening, so the outcome is never experienced. This is reinforced because the aversive stimulus is avoided, making the behavior more likely to occur again in the future (negative reinforcement).

This differs from escape, which would terminate the aversive stimulus after it has already begun. Extinction refers to the decrease of a previously reinforced behavior when reinforcement stops, and punishment involves adding something unpleasant after a response to reduce its likelihood.