Which term describes the addition or magnification of a stimulus following a response that results in a decreased likelihood of that response in the future?

Which term describes the addition or magnification of a stimulus following a response that results in a decreased likelihood of that response in the future?

• A. Positive punishment
• B. Reinforcement
• C. Appetitive
• D. Extinction

Answer: (A)

This describes positive punishment: adding an aversive or unpleasant stimulus after a behavior to make that behavior less likely to occur in the future. The key idea is that something is introduced as a consequence, and this added consequence reduces the chance the behavior will happen again. For example, scolding after a misstep or a ticket for speeding are intended to discourage the behavior by adding a negative outcome. This differs from reinforcement, which aims to increase a behavior by presenting a desirable outcome or removing an undesirable one. Appetitive refers to a desirable stimulus that typically motivates behavior, often tied to reinforcement rather than punishment. Extinction involves removing reinforcement so the behavior fades over time, not by adding a new stimulus. And negative punishment would remove a pleasant stimulus to decrease a behavior, which still isn’t the same as adding an aversive consequence to reduce it.

This describes positive punishment: adding an aversive or unpleasant stimulus after a behavior to make that behavior less likely to occur in the future. The key idea is that something is introduced as a consequence, and this added consequence reduces the chance the behavior will happen again. For example, scolding after a misstep or a ticket for speeding are intended to discourage the behavior by adding a negative outcome.

This differs from reinforcement, which aims to increase a behavior by presenting a desirable outcome or removing an undesirable one. Appetitive refers to a desirable stimulus that typically motivates behavior, often tied to reinforcement rather than punishment. Extinction involves removing reinforcement so the behavior fades over time, not by adding a new stimulus. And negative punishment would remove a pleasant stimulus to decrease a behavior, which still isn’t the same as adding an aversive consequence to reduce it.