Ways of rewarding or punishing acceptable or unacceptable behaviour, usually used in the sense of punishment (negative sanctions).

• A. Sanctions
• B. Rewards
• C. Status
• D. Social institutions

Answer: (A)

Sanctions are the mechanisms through which a society encourage acceptable behavior and deter unacceptable behavior by applying rewards or punishments. They come in two main forms: positive sanctions, such as praise or privileges, and negative sanctions, such as fines, disapproval, or exclusion. Because the question points to both rewarding and punishing behavior, sanctions is the best answer since it encompasses both sides of social control. Rewards alone describe only one form of sanction. Status refers to a person’s position within a social hierarchy and does not describe a method of enforcing norms. Social institutions are broader structures like family, education, or religion, which organize social life but are not themselves the means of rewarding or punishing behavior.