Threats of severe punishment are NOT likely to change behaviors in the absence of the person who punishes, because such severe threats provide __________.
A) external justification for halting the undesirable behavior
B) sufficient internal justification for halting the undesirable behavior
C) a means to justify the problem behavior
D) a large amount of cognitive dissonance

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Threats of severe punishment often lead to external justification for halting undesirable behavior, meaning individuals might only avoid the behavior to escape punishment rather than internalizing the reasons for not engaging in it. When the threat or the person who can enforce the punishment is not present, the behavior is likely to resume because the internal motivation to change has not been established.

Threats of Severe Punishment Are NOT Likely to Change Behaviors