AP PSYCHOLOGY

TREATMENT OF ABNORMAL BEHAVIOR

BEHAVIOR THERAPY

Question [CLICK ON ANY CHOICE TO KNOW THE RIGHT ANSWER]
In the operant conditioning technique of punishment ____ reinforcing stimulus is removed following the behavior to decrease the frequency of a target behavior (ex:docking someone’s paycheck for missing time) is ____
A
positive punishment
B
negative punishment
C
Either A or B
D
None of the above
Explanation: 

Detailed explanation-1: -Answer and Explanation: The correct answer is b. negative reinforcement.

Detailed explanation-2: -In negative punishment, you remove a pleasant stimulus to decrease a behavior. For example, when a child misbehaves, a parent can take away a favorite toy. In this case, a stimulus (the toy) is removed in order to decrease the behavior.

Detailed explanation-3: -Negative reinforcement occurs when a certain stimulus (usually an aversive stimulus) is removed after a particular behavior is exhibited. The likelihood of the particular behavior occurring again in the future is increased because of removing/avoiding the negative consequence.

Detailed explanation-4: -Operant conditioning, sometimes referred to as instrumental conditioning, is a method of learning that uses rewards and punishment to modify behavior. Through operant conditioning, behavior that is rewarded is likely to be repeated, and behavior that is punished will rarely occur.

Detailed explanation-5: -In operant conditioning, punishment is any change in a human or animal’s surroundings which, occurring after a given behavior or response, reduces the likelihood of that behavior occurring again in the future. As with reinforcement, it is the behavior, not the human/animal, that is punished.

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