Question

i’ve asked her, again and again, to hang it up. she says she will, but she never does. do you think we could use operant conditioning to fix this? andy vass yes, lets try positive reinforcement to increase her good behavior of hanging up the towel. ana i’ve tried asking my roommate to pick up the towel. i’ve tried ignoring the towel and hoping it would be gone by the time i get back from class. neither approach has worked. what do you think i should try as positive reinforcement? how about you make her bed the first three days she picks up her towel? tell her you will not drive her to class if there is a towel on the floor. how about you say that you’ll buy her coffee on the way to class the first three times she hangs up her towel? why don’t you put her wet towel on her bed when she leaves it on the floor?

Explanation:

Positive reinforcement involves adding a desirable stimulus after a target behavior to increase the likelihood of that behavior repeating. We need to identify the option that adds a pleasant consequence for hanging up the towel.

1. Making her bed: This is a positive action, but it may not be a desired reward for the roommate.
2. Refusing to drive her to class: This is negative punishment (removing a desirable stimulus), not positive reinforcement.
3. Buying her coffee: This adds a desirable, rewarding stimulus immediately after the target behavior (hanging up the towel), which fits positive reinforcement.
4. Putting the towel on her bed: This is a form of positive punishment (adding an unpleasant stimulus), not reinforcement.

Answer:

How about you say that you'll buy her coffee on the way to class the first three times she hangs up her towel?