Sara does not ask Mr. Smith any questions during class because the last time Sara asked a question he ridiculed her. This is an example of which of the following?

Question

Positive reinforcement
Negative reinforcement
Punishment
Classical conditioning

Answer 1

This situation is an example of punishment. In this context, Sara's previous experience of being ridiculed for asking a question serves to decrease the likelihood of her asking questions in the future. Punishment in behavior psychology refers to the introduction of a negative consequence in response to a behavior (asking questions) that reduces the frequency of that behavior.