Final answer:
Withholding access to attention or tangible rewards when someone displays inappropriate behavior is a form of negative punishment, effectively taught through techniques such as time-out. The removal from a positive environment following negative actions helps condition the individual to avoid such behavior in the future. However, the use of punishment must be carefully considered to avoid negative side effects like fear or aggression.
Step-by-step explanation:
Withholding access to attention or tangible rewards while an individual is engaging in inappropriate behavior is a technique known as negative punishment. This approach is often used in behavioral modification strategies to decrease unwanted behaviors. A classic example is the use of time-out, where a child is removed from a fun or desirable activity because they engaged in behavior that is deemed inappropriate. For instance, if a child is playing and pushes another child, they would be taken out of the playground setting for a short period. This removal from the environment where the negative behavior occurred serves as a consequence, thus teaching them an association between the behavior and an undesirable outcome.Daniel Simons and Christopher Chabris's study on inattentional blindness illustrates the importance of attention in behavior. Participants were so focused on counting basketball passes that nearly half failed to notice a person in a gorilla costume among the players. This shows how selective attention can lead to not perceiving other stimuli in the environment.