Tom yelled at his parrot when it started squawking in response to a noise in the hallway. As a result, it stopped squawking. According to the conditioned suppression theory of punishment, this is because:
A) a high probability behavior has been followed by a low probability behavior.
B) a low probability behavior has been followed by a high probability behavior.
C) the parrot is so emotionally upset that it is no longer inclined to squawk.
D) the connection between the noise in the hallway and squawking has been weakened.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The conditioned suppression theory of punishment suggests that punishment does not weaken the connection between the stimulus and the response directly, but rather, it induces an emotional response (such as fear or anxiety) in the subject, which interferes with the occurrence of the unwanted behavior. In this case, the parrot stops squawking not because the link between the noise and squawking has been weakened, but because it is emotionally upset by the yelling.

Tom Yelled at His Parrot When It Started Squawking in Response