In operant conditioning, something is added to decrease the likelihood of a behavior is known as ______.

Appeared in: WCL Staff Nurse - 2022

Explanation

In the context of operant conditioning, 'positive' signifies the addition of a stimulus.
The term 'punishment' refers to a consequence that aims to decrease the frequency of a specific behavior.
Therefore, when a stimulus is added to the environment to make a behavior less likely to occur again, it is defined as positive punishment.
A common example is applying an aversive or unpleasant stimulus following an undesirable action.

Why Other Options Were Wrong

Option A: Positive reinforcement involves adding a stimulus, but its purpose is to increase the likelihood of a behavior, not decrease it.
Option C: Negative reinforcement involves removing an aversive stimulus to increase a behavior. The question describes adding a stimulus to decrease a behavior.
Option D: Negative punishment involves removing a desirable stimulus to decrease a behavior. The question specifies that a stimulus is added.

Related Visual

Clinical Relevance

Nursing practice connection: This is primarily an exam-oriented knowledge point with limited direct bedside application, so retain Principles of Operant Conditioning as background academic context rather than a clinical decision trigger.
Nurses use principles of operant conditioning to encourage positive health behaviors, such as adherence to treatment plans, and to manage challenging patient behaviors safely and effectively.
Positive reinforcement, like praise or encouragement, is a powerful tool in patient education and rehabilitation to motivate patients to achieve health goals.
Understanding these concepts helps nurses create a therapeutic environment that supports behavior change and patient cooperation.

How to Approach the Question

First, analyze the question to identify the two key components of the operant conditioning principle being described.
Identify the action on the stimulus: Is something being 'added' or 'removed'? In this case, 'something is added,' which corresponds to 'Positive'.
Identify the effect on the behavior: Is the behavior intended to 'increase' or 'decrease'? Here, the goal is to 'decrease the likelihood,' which corresponds to 'Punishment'.
Combine the two parts: 'Positive' + 'Punishment' = 'Positive Punishment'.
Evaluate the given options to find the one that matches your derived term.

Concept Tested & Keywords

Concept Tested: Principles of Operant Conditioning
Stem keywords: operant conditioning, added, decrease, behavior
Lead-in keywords: is known as
Negative lead-in flag: false

Question ID

Q1T4p6Gr83IjbhgLfF6s1K

Reference Book

E6 Psychology Applied Sreevani 6e Sem1 p. 153-155

E6 Robert Boland, Marcia L. Verduin - Kaplan and Sadock's Comprehensive Text of Psychiatry-Wolters Kluwer Health (2024) (pp 1-16525 of 16525) p. 12689-12691

E6 Psychology Morgan King 9e Part 1 p. 165-167

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