Question

keys to success
circle the behavior
if the goal is to strengthen the behavior, put
if the goal is to weaken the behavior, put
underline the consequence
if something is being added, put +
if something is being removed, put -
next, identify whether each example is positive reinforcement (pr), negative reinforcement (nr), positive punishment (pp), or negative punishment (np).

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
12. ____ a professor give extra credit to student with perfect attendance
13. ____ a dog is banished to his doghouse after soiling the living room carpet
14. ____ a defendant is harassed and tortured until he confessed
15. ____ a young child receives $5 for earning good grades in school
16. ____ a mother smiles when her child utters “mama”
17. ____ a child is put into “time out” for misbehaving
18. ____ employee of the month gets a reserved parking space
19. ____ at a party, a husband becomes sullen when his wife flirts with a colleague
20. ____ a women watching a football game offers her child candy to play quietly

Explanation:

Positive reinforcement (PR) adds something to strengthen behavior. Negative reinforcement (NR) removes something to strengthen behavior. Positive punishment (PP) adds something to weaken behavior. Negative punishment (NP) removes something to weaken behavior. We analyze each example based on these definitions.

1. Prizes are added to strengthen buckling - up behavior, so it's PR.
2. Suspension is added to weaken the foul - committing behavior, so it's PP.
3. Rolling eyes is adding an aversive response to weaken bad - pass behavior, so it's PP.
4. Teacher calling is what the child wants (added), strengthening finger - snapping behavior, so it's PR.
5. Extra visiting time is added to strengthen eating a complete meal behavior, so it's PR.
6. Discount is added to strengthen recycling behavior, so it's PR.
7. Grounding is added to weaken not - finishing homework behavior, so it's PP.
8. Scolding is added to weaken playing in the street behavior, so it's PP.
9. TV privileges are removed to weaken rule - violating behavior, so it's NP.
10. Nagging is added to strengthen room - cleaning behavior, so it's PP.
11. Shock/tone is removed to strengthen lever - pressing behavior, so it's NR.
12. Extra credit is added to strengthen perfect - attendance behavior, so it's PR.
13. Banishment is added to weaken soiling the carpet behavior, so it's PP.
14. Harassment/torture is added to weaken not - confessing behavior, so it's PP.
15. Money is added to strengthen getting good grades behavior, so it's PR.
16. Smile is added to strengthen uttering "mama" behavior, so it's PR.
17. "Time out" is added to weaken misbehaving behavior, so it's PP.
18. Reserved parking space is added to strengthen good work behavior, so it's PR.
19. Husband's sullenness is adding an aversive response to weaken wife's flirting behavior, so it's PP.
20. Candy is added to strengthen quiet - playing behavior, so it's PR.

Answer:

1. PR
2. PP
3. PP
4. PR
5. PR
6. PR
7. PP
8. PP
9. NP
10. PP
11. NR
12. PR
13. PP
14. PP
15. PR
16. PR
17. PP
18. PR
19. PP
20. PR