Which term refers to actions meant to reduce undesirable behaviors?

The term that refers to actions meant to reduce undesirable behaviors is punishment. In behavior management, punishment is specifically designed to decrease the likelihood of a behavior occurring in the future. It can take various forms, such as giving a consequence for a negative behavior or removing a positive reinforcement when an undesired behavior is displayed. The goal of punishment is to discourage the behavior by providing an aversive consequence.

While reinforcement is an essential concept in behavior management, it focuses on increasing desirable behaviors by providing positive outcomes. Extinction refers to the process of eliminating a behavior by no longer providing the reinforcement that maintains it, which can unintentionally lead to an initial increase in the behavior before it decreases. Social learning involves learning behaviors through observation and imitation, which does not specifically aim to reduce undesirable behaviors. Together, these nuances help encapsulate the broader understanding of behavior modification strategies, where punishment directly addresses the need to mitigate undesirable actions.