Which of the following is an example of negative punishment in operant conditioning?

• A. A teenager loses access to their video games after missing curfew.
• B. A student is given extra homework for talking in class.
• C. A child receives a piece of candy for cleaning their room.
• D. A dog is given a treat for sitting on command.

Answer: (A)

Verified step by step guidance

1. Understand the concept of negative punishment in operant conditioning: it involves the removal of a pleasant stimulus to decrease the likelihood of a behavior occurring again.
2. Identify the behavior that is being targeted for reduction—in this case, the teenager missing curfew.
3. Look for the consequence that follows the behavior and check if it involves taking away something desirable (e.g., access to video games).
4. Compare the options to see which one involves removing a positive stimulus after an undesired behavior, rather than adding a consequence or providing a reward.
5. Confirm that the example where the teenager loses access to video games after missing curfew fits the definition of negative punishment because a pleasant stimulus is removed to reduce the unwanted behavior.