Final answer:
Suspending a basketball player for committing a flagrant foul is an example of 'punishment' aimed at decreasing the undesirable behavior and is considered a 'formal negative sanction'. Option C
Step-by-step explanation:
The incident of a basketball player being suspended for committing a flagrant foul is an example of punishment in the context of operant conditioning.
Operant conditioning includes various concepts such as positive reinforcement, negative reinforcement, positive punishment, and negative punishment, though positive and negative don't mean good and bad here. Instead, positive means adding something and negative means removing something.
Reinforcement aims to increase a behavior, while punishment aims to decrease a behavior. Negative reinforcement involves removing an unpleasant stimulus to increase a behavior.
In contrast, punishment, both positive (adding an unpleasant stimulus to decrease behavior) and negative (removing a pleasant stimulus to decrease behavior), serves to reduce the likelihood of a behavior.
In the context of the question, suspending a player is a means to decrease the undesirable behavior of committing flagrant fouls during a game. This action removes the player's ability to participate, which is a type of formal negative sanction. Therefore, the correct answer is (C) Punishment.