Which option defines negative punishment?

• A. Removing a pleasant stimulus to decrease a behavior
• B. Introducing an unpleasant stimulus to decrease a behavior
• C. Removing an unpleasant stimulus to increase a behavior
• D. Adding a pleasant stimulus to increase a behavior

Answer: (A)

Negative punishment is when you remove something pleasant after a behavior to decrease the likelihood that the behavior will happen again. For example, taking away a favorite game or privileges after misbehavior reduces the chance of that misbehavior repeating.

This differs from removing an unpleasant stimulus to make a behavior occur more often (negative reinforcement), which would increase the behavior by easing an aversive condition. It also differs from introducing an unpleasant stimulus to decrease a behavior (positive punishment) and from adding something pleasant to increase a behavior (positive reinforcement).