Which one of the following is the best example of punishment as behaviorists define it?
A) Kelly has been acting up in the classroom all year. Her teacher's frequent reprimands haven't made much of a difference in Kelly's behavior.
B) Leo is a real distraction to his classmates, often burping in a way that makes other students laugh. His teacher places him in a corner where others can't hear him burping.
C) Whenever Marvin has trouble sitting still, his teacher has him run up and down the hall three times to release pent-up energy.
D) After Nora spends a few minutes in the time-out room for hurting a classmate's feelings, she is more careful not to hurt her peers' feelings in the future.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Punishment, as defined by behaviorists, is an action that decreases the likelihood of a behavior being repeated in the future. Therefore, the best example of punishment is D, where Nora's time-out experience leads to a decrease in the behavior of hurting her classmates' feelings in the future. Choices A, B, and C do not necessarily result in a decrease in the likelihood of the undesired behavior being repeated.

Which One of the Following Is the Best Example of Punishment