Final answer:
In the scenario described, the correct answer is C) Punishment, because the baby's scream in response to peek-a-boo will likely decrease this behavior in the future. Punishment in operant conditioning aims to reduce the frequency of an unwanted behavior.
Step-by-step explanation:
The question involves understanding concepts from psychology, specifically operant conditioning, which deals with how behaviors are modified by their consequences.
In the given scenario, where a baby screams in fear after a game of peek-a-boo, the most accurate option would be C) Punishment, because the baby's response indicates that the behavior (the adult playing peek-a-boo) might be decreased in the future due to the negative reaction (screaming).
Punishment in operant conditioning refers to any outcome that follows a behavior and decreases the likelihood of that behavior being repeated. In this case, the adult is likely to play peek-a-boo less frequently with the baby to avoid causing fear.
Punishment operates by adding an aversive stimulus or removing a pleasant one in order to decrease a behavior. The provided example is different from negative reinforcement, where an unpleasant stimulus is removed when the desired behavior is performed, thereby increasing that behavior.
An example of negative reinforcement is turning off a loud and annoying seatbelt alarm when the seatbelt is buckled, thus encouraging future use of the seatbelt.