Final answer:
Timeout as a form of negative punishment can be either exclusionary, removing the individual from the location, or nonexclusionary, removing the individual from the activity but not the location. It's a behavior modification technique that should be implemented properly, considering its duration and context.
Step-by-step explanation:
Exclusionary timeout occurs when an individual is removed from the location where the problem behavior occurred, while nonexclusionary timeout takes place when the individual is removed from the situation but remains in the same location where the behavior occurred.
Time-out is often used in behavior modification and operates on the principle of negative punishment. By removing the child from a desirable activity and placing them in a less desirable environment, their unwanted behavior is likely to decrease. The effectiveness of this technique requires a desirable activity from which the child can be removed, a proper setting for timeout to occur, and the appropriate length of the timeout. Typical guidelines suggest one minute of time-out for each year of the child’s age.
An example of exclusionary time-out would be if Sophia throws blocks after receiving a warning, she might be taken to a different room away from her brother and the blocks. On the other hand, nonexclusionary time-out could involve Sophia being asked to sit on the side in the same room without being allowed to continue playing, yet she can still see the activity she was previously engaged in. Within operant conditioning, where extinction and reinforcement schedules are key concepts, the approach taken with timeout incorporates these behavioral principles.