Which process increases the likelihood of a behavior occurring?

Reinforcement is the process that increases the likelihood of a behavior occurring by providing a consequence that is favorable or rewarding following the behavior. When a behavior is reinforced, it becomes stronger and more likely to be repeated in the future. There are two main types of reinforcement: positive reinforcement, which involves the addition of a pleasant stimulus after the desired behavior (such as praise or a reward), and negative reinforcement, which involves the removal of an unfavorable stimulus, thereby increasing the chances of the behavior being repeated.

In contrast, punishment refers to a consequence that decreases the likelihood of a behavior occurring by introducing an unpleasant outcome or removing a pleasant one. This serves to discourage the behavior rather than encourage it. A conditioned response is a learned reaction to a specific stimulus based on previous experiences, and a conditioned stimulus is a previously neutral stimulus that, after becoming associated with an unconditioned stimulus, leads to a conditioned response. Neither conditioned response nor conditioned stimulus specifically promote an increase in behavior occurrence in the same way that reinforcement does.