Which of the following is an example of punishment?
A)Your boss doesn't say anything after you have the highest sales of the month.
B)Your boss stops complaining about your late arrival at work after you arrive early for several weeks.
C)The organization takes away some of your pay cheque to cover the cost of a machine that you carelessly broke.
D)The organization takes away some of your pay cheque to cover the cost of a machine that you carelessly broke and your boss stops complaining about your late arrival at work after you arrive early for several weeks.
E)After signing a contract with an important client, the company announces its appreciation of your work.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Punishment involves an unpleasant consequence following a behavior in order to decrease the likelihood of that behavior happening again in the future. In this case, taking away some of the person's pay is a consequence that is intended to discourage them from breaking machines in the future.

None of the other options involve a punishment. Option A is an example of positive reinforcement (reward) for good behavior, option B is an example of negative reinforcement (removal of something unpleasant) for good behavior, option D involves both punishment and negative reinforcement, and option E is an example of positive reinforcement for good work.

Which of the Following Is an Example of Punishment