Final answer:
Negative punishment in behavioral psychology is the removal of a desirable stimulus to decrease the likelihood of a behavior reoccurring. An example is a teenager losing the privilege to go out with friends for coming home past curfew. The term 'negative' refers to stimulus removal, not the punishment being bad.
Step-by-step explanation:
Negative punishment is a concept in behavioral psychology that involves the removal of a desirable stimulus after a behavior has occurred, with the intention of decreasing the likelihood of that behavior occurring again in the future. This is one of the four consequences that can influence behavior, the others being positive reinforcement, negative reinforcement, and positive punishment.
For example, if a teenager comes home past curfew and their parents take away their privilege to go out with friends for a week, the removal of the social activity is the negative punishment. The intended outcome is that the teenager will be less likely to break curfew again to avoid losing the privilege.
It's important to understand that negative refers to the removal of a stimulus, rather than the punishment being inherently 'bad' or harmful. The effectiveness of negative punishment in behavior modification can vary based on factors such as the immediacy of the punishment, the value of the removed stimulus, and the consistency with which the punishment is applied.