Punishment in behaviorist terms is best described as?

• A. Aimed at increasing behavior by praise
• B. Decreasing the likelihood of a behavior by delivering negative consequences or removing positive ones
• C. Always requiring time-out
• D. Only effective for children

Answer: (B)

Punishment in behaviorist terms is a consequence that makes a behavior less likely to occur again. It can take two forms: presenting something aversive after the behavior (positive punishment) or taking away something desirable after the behavior (negative punishment). For example, adding a scolding or extra chores after misbehavior is a form of punishment, while losing a privilege (like no screen time) after the behavior is a removal of a positive consequence. The important point is that punishment decreases the chance the behavior will happen again, unlike reinforcement, which aims to increase it. It’s not tied to time-out specifically and isn’t limited to children, and any consequence that reliably reduces the behavior fits.