What is the term for a stimulus that, when removed following a response, results in a weakening of that response?

What is the term for a stimulus that, when removed following a response, results in a weakening of that response?

• A. Negative enforcer
• B. Positive punisher
• C. Negative punisher
• D. Neutral punisher

Answer: (C)

The correct answer is the term that describes a stimulus which, when removed following a response, leads to a weakening of that response. This concept is known as negative punishment. Negative punishment occurs when a preferred stimulus or positive reinforcer is taken away after an undesired behavior, resulting in a decrease in that behavior's future occurrence. For example, if a child is playing with a toy and their parents take the toy away when the child misbehaves, the removal of the toy serves as a negative punisher. This removal is intended to cause the child to decrease the misbehavior in the future as a consequence of losing access to the toy. In this scenario, the key aspect is the removal of a positive stimulus leading to a reduction in the behavior, which is a foundational principle in behavior analysis.

The correct answer is the term that describes a stimulus which, when removed following a response, leads to a weakening of that response. This concept is known as negative punishment. Negative punishment occurs when a preferred stimulus or positive reinforcer is taken away after an undesired behavior, resulting in a decrease in that behavior's future occurrence.

For example, if a child is playing with a toy and their parents take the toy away when the child misbehaves, the removal of the toy serves as a negative punisher. This removal is intended to cause the child to decrease the misbehavior in the future as a consequence of losing access to the toy.

In this scenario, the key aspect is the removal of a positive stimulus leading to a reduction in the behavior, which is a foundational principle in behavior analysis.