Your dog jumps up on a visitor and you smack him with a rolled up newspaper. The next time you have visitors, your dog doesn't jump on them. This is an example of:
A) negative reinforcement.
B) higher order conditioning.
C) positive punishment.
D) negative punishment.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

This is an example of positive punishment, because the addition of the aversive stimulus (being smacked with a rolled up newspaper) decreased the likelihood of the behavior (jumping on visitors). Negative reinforcement would involve removing the aversive stimulus to increase the likelihood of a behavior. Higher order conditioning refers to the process by which a previously neutral stimulus becomes associated with a conditioned stimulus through repeated pairing. Negative punishment involves the removal of a pleasant stimulus to decrease the likelihood of a behavior.

Your Dog Jumps Up on a Visitor and You Smack