Negative punishment
Removing a stimulus, usually a reinforcer, immediately after a behavior, with the result that the behavior occurs less often in the future.
Negative punishment has two parts: something is taken away after the behavior, and the behavior then decreases in the future. "Negative" means removed, not bad. What is removed is usually a positive reinforcer the person has or has access to, such as tokens, points, a toy, screen time or the opportunity to keep playing.
The two main negative punishment procedures in ABA are response cost, in which a specific amount of a reinforcer is lost (for example, 2 tokens), and time-out from positive reinforcement, in which access to reinforcement is removed for a period of time. Both depend on the person having something valuable to lose. If the environment offers little reinforcement, there is nothing meaningful to remove and the procedure will not work.
Negative punishment is often seen as less intrusive than positive punishment, but it can still produce side effects such as emotional responding, arguing and avoidance of the person or setting. It also does not teach a replacement behavior, so it is combined with reinforcement for appropriate behavior. Under the RBT Ethics Code (2.0), RBTs implement punishment-based procedures only when they are in a documented behavior-change plan and after the supervisor has verified competence.
Be careful with scenario questions: removing something and seeing behavior increase is negative reinforcement. Removing something and seeing behavior decrease is negative punishment.
Example and non-example
| Example | A plan states that a teen loses 5 minutes of phone time each time they curse during a session. The RBT notes each loss on the chart, and cursing decreases over the next weeks. |
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| Non-example | A client puts on their headphones and the noise of the room is reduced, and they use headphones more often. Removal of a stimulus increased a behavior, so this is negative reinforcement. |
Don't confuse it with
| Negative reinforcement | Both involve removing a stimulus, but negative reinforcement increases behavior while negative punishment decreases it. |
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| Extinction | Extinction withholds the reinforcer that maintained the behavior, while negative punishment removes a reinforcer the person already had. |
Test yourself
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Question 1In a token economy, the plan says one token is removed each time the client throws materials, and throwing then decreases. What is this procedure called?
Show answer
D: Response cost, a form of negative punishment. Removing a set amount of an earned reinforcer, such as tokens, after a behavior is response cost. Because something is taken away and the behavior decreases, it is negative punishment.
- A: Extinction withholds the reinforcer that maintained the behavior; it does not take away earned tokens.
- B: Time-out removes access to reinforcement for a period of time, not a set number of earned tokens.
- C: Positive punishment adds a stimulus after behavior; here tokens are taken away.
Task C.11 · 40-hour curriculum section E
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Question 2Which statement correctly separates extinction from negative punishment?
Show answer
B: Extinction withholds the maintaining reinforcer; negative punishment removes a reinforcer the person has. In extinction, the behavior simply stops producing the reinforcer that kept it going. In negative punishment, something the person already has (tokens, a toy, access to an activity) is taken away right after the behavior.
- A: Extinction adds nothing; it only stops the delivery of the reinforcer that maintained the behavior.
- C: Extinction can be applied to behavior maintained by attention, tangibles, escape or sensory results.
- D: Extinction usually reduces behavior gradually, often after a brief increase, so this speed claim is wrong.
Task D.4 · 40-hour curriculum section E
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Question 3A teen loses 15 minutes of phone time each time they curse, as the plan states. Over the next weeks, cursing decreases. Which principle is at work?
Show answer
C: Negative punishment. Phone time the teen has is removed after cursing, and cursing decreases. Removing a stimulus to reduce a behavior is negative punishment.
- A: Nothing is added after cursing; something the teen has is taken away.
- B: Negative reinforcement increases behavior; cursing decreased.
- D: Extinction withholds the reinforcer that maintains the behavior, not a separate privilege.
Task D.5 · 40-hour curriculum section E
Answer every question to see your score.
On the RBT exam
This term belongs to task D.5 Positive and negative punishment in content area D, Behavior Reduction, which is 14 of the 75 scored questions.