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

• A. A child receives candy for cleaning their room.
• B. A parent takes away a teenager's video game privileges after they break curfew.
• C. A dog is scolded for chewing on shoes.
• D. A teacher gives a student extra homework for talking in class.

Answer: (B)

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. Review each option and identify whether it involves adding or removing a stimulus and whether the behavior is being increased or decreased.
3. Option 1: 'A child receives candy for cleaning their room' involves adding a pleasant stimulus (candy) to increase behavior, which is positive reinforcement, not punishment.
4. Option 2: 'A parent takes away a teenager's video game privileges after they break curfew' involves removing a pleasant stimulus (video games) to decrease the undesired behavior (breaking curfew), which fits negative punishment.
5. Options 3 and 4 involve adding unpleasant stimuli (scolding or extra homework), which are examples of positive punishment, not negative punishment.