AP Psychology Exam Prep

Answer: D - Richard’s parents insist on taking away his privileges whenever his grades go down. This is an example of negative punishment.
Key Takeaway: Negative punishment means that a negative condition is introduced to reduce a behavior. When Richard’s parents take away his privileges (a negative condition), his grades won’t be low any longer (a reduced behavior). Negative punishment pairs this negative condition which is not pleasing to the person with something that they enjoy. The goal is for the desired behavior to be reduced eventually.