What type of reinforcement was associated with Sarah's cleaning rituals before seeking therapy?

In this scenario, Sarah's cleaning rituals are associated with negative reinforcement, which occurs when a behavior is strengthened because it removes an aversive stimulus. Sarah likely engages in these cleaning rituals to reduce feelings of anxiety or distress that arise from having an unclean environment. By cleaning, she experiences a reduction in these negative feelings, reinforcing her behavior of cleaning in the future.

This concept is essential in understanding how certain behaviors are maintained in conditions like obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). In Sarah's case, the act of cleaning serves to alleviate her anxiety, thereby creating a cycle where the cleaning behavior is continually reinforced because it successfully mitigates her discomfort. This reinforcement pattern helps explain why individuals may continue such rituals, even when they recognize that they are maladaptive.