Question

multiple choice question
every time rebecca has tried to hold her aunts bird, the bird bites her finger. rebecca no longer wants to hold the bird and wont take it when someone offers. rebeccas reaction to the bird is an example of ______.

reinforcement
anxiety
punishment
classical conditioning

Explanation:

Punishment refers to a stimulus that decreases the likelihood of a behavior recurring. Here, the bird's bite (an aversive stimulus) leads Rebecca to stop the behavior of trying to hold the bird, which matches the definition of punishment. Reinforcement increases behavior, anxiety is an emotional state not the behavioral change mechanism here, and classical conditioning involves pairing stimuli to elicit a reflex, which is not the case here.

Answer:

punishment