Cleveland kept talking out of turn in his fourth-grade class, no matter how many times the teacher told him to stop. Finally, in desperation, the teacher sent Cleveland to the principal's office. This action of sending the student to the principal's office is a form of

• A. negative reinforcement.
• B. positive reinforcement.
• C. punishment.
• D. secondary punishment.

Answer: (C)

Verified step by step guidance

1. Identify the behavior that is being addressed: Cleveland talking out of turn in class.
2. Understand the teacher's response to the behavior: sending Cleveland to the principal's office.
3. Define the concept of punishment in psychology: Punishment is a consequence that decreases the likelihood of a behavior being repeated.
4. Differentiate between reinforcement and punishment: Reinforcement increases behavior, while punishment decreases behavior.
5. Conclude that sending Cleveland to the principal's office is intended to decrease his talking out of turn, thus it is a form of punishment.