After Fernanda buys stock in a "hot" new start-up company, the company fails and she loses all of her money. Fernanda no longer invests in start-up companies. This is an example of:
A) negative reinforcement.
B) higher order conditioning.
C) positive punishment.
D) negative punishment.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Negative punishment occurs when a pleasant stimulus is removed after an undesirable behavior, which decreases the likelihood of the behavior being repeated. In this case, Fernanda's loss of money (removal of a pleasant stimulus) after investing in a start-up company (undesirable behavior) decreases the likelihood of her investing in start-up companies in the future.

After Fernanda Buys Stock in a "Hot" New Start-Up Company