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Unintended Behavior Reinforcement

Positive reinforcement is widely understood, but negative reinforcement is equally important in shaping behavior.
In households with frequent parental conflict, children may act out, which inadvertently stops the parents’ arguing.
The child’s misbehavior is negatively reinforced because it removes an unpleasant stimulus (parental conflict) and redirects attention toward them.
Similarly, children learn that escalating behavior, like screaming or throwing tantrums, can result in parents giving in to demands.
These patterns are usually inadvertent, but they reinforce oppositional or externalizing behaviors over time.

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