Which type of event is designed to decrease the likelihood of a specific response occurring?

The concept of a punisher aligns with the principle of operant conditioning, where specific consequences are introduced to decrease the likelihood of a behavior reoccurring. Punishers can take various forms, such as negative consequences following a behavior or the removal of a positive stimulus. When a punisher is applied, it aims to reduce a specific response by creating an unpleasant or undesirable outcome that the individual seeks to avoid in the future.

In contrast, a neutral stimulus does not have an inherent effect on behavior and typically does not act to increase or decrease any specific responses. Reinforcers are used to increase the likelihood of a behavior occurring, and positive reinforcers specifically add a pleasant stimulus following a desired action. Thus, while these other elements play a role in shaping behavior, they do not fulfill the specific function of decreasing the frequency of a response, which is the primary role of a punisher.