Which statement defines negative punishment?

• A. Something is removed to decrease the likelihood of a behavior.
• B. Something is added to decrease the likelihood of a behavior.
• C. Something is added to increase the likelihood of a behavior.
• D. Something is removed to increase the likelihood of a behavior.

Answer: (A)

Negative punishment is taking away something after a behavior to reduce its likelihood in the future. The statement that says something is removed to decrease the likelihood of a behavior matches that idea exactly. In behavioral terms, punishment lowers behavior, and it can be achieved either by removing a stimulus or by adding one, depending on the type. If you add a stimulus to decrease behavior, that’s positive punishment; if you remove a stimulus to decrease behavior, that’s negative punishment. For example, taking away a favorite toy after misbehavior is negative punishment because the removal of the toy makes the misbehavior less likely to occur again.