Final answer:
Time-out, as given to Michael for hitting his sister, is a form of negative punishment aimed at decreasing his unwanted behavior by removing the opportunity to engage in a desirable activity.
Step-by-step explanation:
When 4-year-old Michael hit his sister and was placed in a time-out by his mom, this action is considered to be negative punishment. Negative punishment is a behavior modification strategy where a desirable activity or privilege is removed in response to unwanted behavior. In this case, Michael is removed from a potentially enjoyable situation as a consequence of his actions, with the intention of reducing the likelihood that he will hit again in the future. Time-out is a form of punishment that is used to decrease undesired behaviors by taking away the opportunity to engage in enjoyable activities. The principle behind time-out follows operant conditioning, where behaviors are learned and modified through reinforcement and punishment. Positive punishment would mean adding an unpleasant consequence in response to behavior, which is not the case here. Hence, a time-out is not considered positive reinforcement, positive punishment, negative reinforcement, continuous reinforcement, or any form of reinforcement because the goal is to decrease a behavior, not increase it.