Question

reinforcement is used to _____________ behavior.
a discourage
b. encourage
c. extinguish
d. understand
please select the best answer from the choices provided
a
b
c
d

Explanation:

Reinforcement, in psychology (a sub - field of Social Science), is a process that increases the likelihood of a behavior occurring. Positive reinforcement adds a pleasant stimulus (e.g., a reward) and negative reinforcement removes an unpleasant stimulus (e.g., taking away an annoying task) to encourage a behavior. Options A (discourage) and C (extinguish) are related to punishment or extinction procedures (which are different from reinforcement). Option D (understand) is not the function of reinforcement; reinforcement is about modifying behavior, not understanding it.

Answer:

B. encourage