A parent takes away a child's favourite toy after the child misbehaves, and the misbehaviour drops. This is:
ANegative reinforcement
BPositive reinforcement
CPositive punishment
DNegative punishment
Answer & Solution
Correct answer: D. Negative punishment
1. The misbehaviour decreases, so the consequence is punishment rather than reinforcement.
2. Something is taken away rather than added, so it is negative.
3. Negative punishment therefore applies: a pleasant stimulus is removed in order to decrease a behaviour.
4. Time-out works on the same principle, removing the child from a desirable activity.
_Source: OpenStax Psychology (1st ed., CC BY 4.0), Ch 6 "Learning", §6.3 Operant Conditioning_
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