Which process decreases the probability of a behavior by presenting an aversive stimulus or removing a reinforcing stimulus after the behavior?

Which process decreases the probability of a behavior by presenting an aversive stimulus or removing a reinforcing stimulus after the behavior?

• A. Extinction
• B. Stimulus Control
• C. Punishment
• D. Reinforcement

Answer: (C)

Punishment reduces the likelihood of a behavior by either presenting an aversive stimulus after the behavior or removing a reinforcing stimulus following the behavior. This dual mechanism aligns with the description: adding something unpleasant (positive punishment) or taking away something the person finds reinforcing (negative punishment) to make the behavior less likely to happen again. Extinction, by contrast, involves withholding reinforcement that previously followed the behavior, leading to a gradual decrease over time without introducing an aversive consequence. Stimulus control refers to how behavior is governed by specific antecedent stimuli and does not inherently describe decreasing a response via an aversive or removal of reinforcement. Reinforcement increases future probability of a behavior, either by presenting a desirable stimulus or removing an aversive one, which is the opposite of what’s described in the question.

Punishment reduces the likelihood of a behavior by either presenting an aversive stimulus after the behavior or removing a reinforcing stimulus following the behavior. This dual mechanism aligns with the description: adding something unpleasant (positive punishment) or taking away something the person finds reinforcing (negative punishment) to make the behavior less likely to happen again.

Extinction, by contrast, involves withholding reinforcement that previously followed the behavior, leading to a gradual decrease over time without introducing an aversive consequence. Stimulus control refers to how behavior is governed by specific antecedent stimuli and does not inherently describe decreasing a response via an aversive or removal of reinforcement. Reinforcement increases future probability of a behavior, either by presenting a desirable stimulus or removing an aversive one, which is the opposite of what’s described in the question.