Question

instructions. for each example presented below, identify whether positive reinforcement (pr), negative reinforcement (nr), or punishment (pun) is illustrated by placing the appropriate abbreviation in the blank next to the item.
____ 1. police pulling drivers over and giving prizes for buckling up
____ 2. suspending a basketball player for committing a flagrant foul
____ 3. a soccer player rolls her eyes at a teammate who delivered a bad pass
____ 4. a child snaps her fingers until her teacher calls on her
____ 5. a hospital patient is allowed extra visiting time after eating a complete meal
____ 6. receiving a city utility discount for participating in a recycling program
____ 7. grounding a teenager until his or her homework is finished
____ 8. scolding a child for playing in the street
____ 9. a prisoner loses tv privileges for one week for a rule violation
____ 10. a parent nagging a child to clean up her room
____ 11. a rat presses a lever to terminate a shock or a loud tone

Explanation:

1. Positive reinforcement (PR) involves adding a pleasant stimulus to increase a behavior. Here, prizes (pleasant) are given for buckling up (behavior), so it's PR.
2. Punishment (PUN) aims to decrease a behavior. Suspending (removing a privilege, which is an aversive consequence) for a foul (behavior) is punishment.
3. Rolling eyes (an aversive social stimulus) to decrease the behavior of bad passes is punishment (PUN).
4. The child snaps (behavior) to get the teacher's call (a pleasant stimulus added), so it's positive reinforcement (PR).
5. Extra visiting time (pleasant added) for eating (behavior) is positive reinforcement (PR).
6. Discount (pleasant added) for recycling (behavior) is positive reinforcement (PR).
7. Grounding (removing freedom, an aversive) until homework (behavior) is done is a form of punishment (PUN) to increase homework - doing.
8. Scolding (aversive) for playing in the street (behavior) is punishment (PUN).
9. Losing TV privileges (removing a pleasant thing, aversive) for rule - violation (behavior) is punishment (PUN).
10. Nagging (aversive) to get cleaning (behavior) is a form of negative reinforcement (NR) if the nagging stops when cleaning starts (removal of aversive to increase behavior).
11. Pressing lever (behavior) to remove shock/tone (aversive), so it's negative reinforcement (NR).

Answer:

1. PR
2. PUN
3. PUN
4. PR
5. PR
6. PR
7. PUN
8. PUN
9. PUN
10. NR
11. NR