Question

Nolan used to love tequila. However, a few weeks ago he drank way too much tequila and became very, very sick. His tendency to drink tequila has since declined dramatically. In operant terms, this sequence of events represents: A. generalization B. negative reinforcement. C. higher-order conditioning. D. punishment.

Short answer

Answer: Punishment

Step-by-step solution

Define the terms

First, let's define each of the terms to better understand the concepts: A. Generalization: A process where a learned response to a specific stimulus is applied to other similar stimuli. B. Negative reinforcement: A process where the removal of an aversive stimulus following a specific behavior increases the likelihood of that behavior occurring again. C. Higher-order conditioning: A process where a neutral stimulus is paired with a previously conditioned stimulus, causing the neutral stimulus to evoke a conditioned response. D. Punishment: A process where the presentation of an aversive stimulus or the removal of a pleasant stimulus following a specific behavior decreases the likelihood of that behavior occurring again.

Analyze Nolan's situation

Now that we have defined the terms, let's analyze Nolan's situation: - He used to love tequila. - He drank way too much tequila and became very sick. - His tendency to drink tequila has since declined dramatically.

Identify the correct term

Based on the definitions and Nolan's situation, we can determine that the correct term is: D. Punishment The reason being, after Nolan drank too much tequila, he became very sick (the presentation of an aversive stimulus). This experience then led to a decrease in the likelihood of him drinking tequila again, which follows the definition of punishment.