Question

read the scenario below and answer the question that follows.

justine starts yelling in the store when she wants something. her parents buy her a toy in order to get justine to stop yelling.

what type of conditioning is shaping the parents behavior?
a. positive reinforcement
b. negative reinforcement
c. positive punishment
d. negative punishment

please select the best answer from the choices provided

Explanation:

Identify the target behavior and consequence

• Target behavior: The parents buying a toy for Justine.
• Consequence: Justine stops yelling (removal of an unpleasant/aversive stimulus).

Analyze the operant conditioning mechanism

• Reinforcement vs. Punishment: The parents' behavior of buying toys is likely to increase (be reinforced) in the future because it successfully stops the unpleasant yelling.
• Positive vs. Negative: Since the behavior leads to the removal/subtraction of an aversive stimulus (the yelling), it is negative reinforcement.

Match with the given options

• Option A (positive reinforcement) involves adding a pleasant stimulus.
• Option B (negative reinforcement) involves removing an unpleasant stimulus.
• Option C (positive punishment) involves adding an unpleasant stimulus to decrease behavior.
• Option D (negative punishment) involves removing a pleasant stimulus to decrease behavior.
• Therefore, the correct option is B.

Answer:

• (A) positive reinforcement
• (B) negative reinforcement (Correct answer)
• (C) positive punishment
• (D) negative punishment