Which term describes decreasing the likelihood of a behavior by presenting an aversive consequence?

• A. Reinforcement
• B. Punishment
• C. Direct instruction
• D. Behaviorism

Answer: (B)

Decreasing the likelihood of a behavior by presenting an aversive consequence is punishment. In operant conditioning, when an unpleasant outcome follows a behavior, that behavior tends to occur less often. When the aversive event is added, it’s called positive punishment (for example, adding a scolding after incorrect behavior). This differs from reinforcement, which strengthens behavior by presenting a rewarding consequence or removing an unpleasant one (negative reinforcement). The other terms reference different ideas: direct instruction is a teaching method, and behaviorism is the broader theory about learning from observable behavior and its consequences.