After buying an electric grass trimmer, Richard changed into his shorts and went out in his bare feet to trim the grass. When he moved the trimmer too close to his leg, the rotating line gashed and cut his ankle. Richard no longer wears shorts or goes barefoot when he uses the grass trimmer. Richard's behavior of dressing inappropriately for gardening has been changed as a result of:
A)punishment by application.
B)punishment by removal.
C)negative reinforcement.
D)learned helplessness.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Punishment by application involves the addition of an aversive stimulus following a behavior in order to decrease the frequency of that behavior in the future. In this case, Richard experienced the aversive stimulus of getting cut when he wore shorts and went barefoot while using the trimmer. This has caused him to change his behavior and dress more appropriately to avoid the punishment in the future.

After Buying an Electric Grass Trimmer, Richard Changed into His