A stimulus decreasing the frequency of an operant that produces it is known as a?

A stimulus decreasing the frequency of an operant that produces it is known as a?

• A. Punisher
• B. Escape
• C. Intraverbal
• D. Tact

Answer: (A)

In operant conditioning, a punisher is any stimulus that, following a behavior, reduces the future frequency of that behavior. When a response produces something aversive and that aversive consequence makes you less likely to repeat the response, that consequence functions as a punisher. For example, if touching a hot stove leads to pain, the pain makes you less likely to touch the stove again. This is different from reinforcement, which makes a behavior more likely to occur. The other options describe different concepts: intraverbal and tact are verbal operants, not about consequences changing frequency; escape is a negative reinforcement process where a behavior increases because it removes an ongoing aversive stimulus, not because it decreases the behavior that produced it. Therefore, the correct term is punisher.

In operant conditioning, a punisher is any stimulus that, following a behavior, reduces the future frequency of that behavior. When a response produces something aversive and that aversive consequence makes you less likely to repeat the response, that consequence functions as a punisher. For example, if touching a hot stove leads to pain, the pain makes you less likely to touch the stove again. This is different from reinforcement, which makes a behavior more likely to occur. The other options describe different concepts: intraverbal and tact are verbal operants, not about consequences changing frequency; escape is a negative reinforcement process where a behavior increases because it removes an ongoing aversive stimulus, not because it decreases the behavior that produced it. Therefore, the correct term is punisher.