Which scenario is an example of negative punishment?

• A. A child loses iPad privileges after refusing to eat vegetables.
• B. A child is scolded for fighting with a sibling.
• C. A child receives praise for good grades.
• D. A child receives extra playtime for completing homework.

Answer: (A)

Negative punishment involves taking away something a person likes to reduce a behavior. Here, removing iPad privileges after the child refuses to eat vegetables fits this idea because the desirable privilege is taken away in response to the undesired behavior, with the aim of making refusal less likely in the future.

The other scenarios don’t fit negative punishment: scolding adds an aversive event to discourage fighting (positive punishment), while praise for good grades and extra playtime for completing homework are both adding rewards to increase those desirable behaviors (positive reinforcement).