Final answer:
Time-out is a procedure that involves negative punishment to decrease unwanted behaviors by removing an individual from a reinforcing situation. It is distinct from negative reinforcement, which aims to increase desired behaviors, as well as from positive punishment and extinction, which serve to decrease behaviors in different ways.
Step-by-step explanation:
The procedure that prevents a reward from following an undesirable response by removing the individual from a situation in which he or she could be reinforced is known as time-out. This technique is a form of negative punishment used in operant conditioning to decrease unwanted behaviors. When a child, for instance, misbehaves by pushing another child on the playground, they are removed from the activity (Figure 6.12). This removal from a desirable situation serves to reduce the likelihood of the misbehavior reoccurring, as the opportunity for reinforcement is taken away.
In contrast, negative reinforcement involves removing an undesirable stimulus to increase a wanted behavior, such as a car's beep stopping when you fasten the seatbelt. It is important not to confuse negative reinforcement with punishment, as reinforcement increases behavior, while punishment aims to decrease it. Positive punishment adds an undesirable stimulus to decrease a behavior, such as scolding a child to stop texting in class. Extinction occurs when the conditioned response decreases because the reinforcement or the punishing stimulus is no longer paired with the conditioned stimulus.