Which term describes removing a desired stimulus to reduce a behavior?

Which term describes removing a desired stimulus to reduce a behavior?

• A. Positive reinforcement
• B. Negative reinforcement
• C. Negative punishment
• D. Punishment by extinction

Answer: (C)

Negative punishment is the idea of taking away something a dog wants after a behavior occurs in order to reduce that behavior. Imagine a dog who jumps up for attention at greeting time; if you remove your attention after the jump (or take away access to a favorite toy or activity), the dog learns that jumping results in losing that privilege. This decreases the likelihood of jumping in the future. This differs from negative reinforcement, which would remove something aversive to increase a behavior (like stopping leash pressure as soon as the dog walks nicely). It also isn’t extinction, which involves withholding the reinforcer that previously maintained a behavior; extinction reduces behavior by not delivering the reinforcer at all, rather than actively taking away a desired stimulus after the behavior.

Negative punishment is the idea of taking away something a dog wants after a behavior occurs in order to reduce that behavior. Imagine a dog who jumps up for attention at greeting time; if you remove your attention after the jump (or take away access to a favorite toy or activity), the dog learns that jumping results in losing that privilege. This decreases the likelihood of jumping in the future.

This differs from negative reinforcement, which would remove something aversive to increase a behavior (like stopping leash pressure as soon as the dog walks nicely). It also isn’t extinction, which involves withholding the reinforcer that previously maintained a behavior; extinction reduces behavior by not delivering the reinforcer at all, rather than actively taking away a desired stimulus after the behavior.