In order for withdrawal of a stimulus to successfully suppress an individual's behavior, the stimulus must be a reinforcer.

• A. The stimulus must be a punisher.
• B. The stimulus must be a neutral stimulus.
• C. The stimulus must be a reinforcer.
• D. The stimulus must be a conditioned punisher.

Answer: (C)

Withdrawal of a valued consequence reduces the behavior only when that consequence functions as a reinforcer. A reinforcer is something the person finds rewarding and that increases the likelihood of the behavior occurring again. When you remove that reinforcing consequence after the behavior, you eliminate the reinforcement that was supporting the behavior, so the behavior becomes less likely in the future. If the stimulus isn’t reinforcing (a neutral stimulus) or is something that typically punishes when given, taking it away wouldn’t produce the same suppressive effect. For example, if a child earns a treat after completing a task, removing the treat after the task serves as a negative punishment, reducing future task completion because the reinforcing outcome is no longer available.