92. A child is scolded for not doing her homework as soon as she comes home from school. The scolding stops when she does her homework. In the future, she is more likely to do her homework as soon as she comes home from school. The childs increase in doing her homework right after school is a result of
Answer: B
The child's increase in doing her homework right after school is a result of negative reinforcement.
The child is more likely to do her homework as soon as she comes home from school because the scolding, which serves as an aversive stimulus, is removed when she completes her homework. This scenario is a classic example of negative reinforcement, where a behavior is strengthened by the removal of an unpleasant consequence.
A) positive reinforcement
Positive reinforcement involves adding a pleasant stimulus to encourage a behavior. In this case, the removal of scolding does not introduce a positive consequence but rather eliminates a negative one. Therefore, this option is incorrect.
B) negative reinforcement
Negative reinforcement is the correct answer as it refers to the process where a behavior increases because it leads to the removal of an unpleasant stimulus. Here, the child learns to do her homework promptly to avoid being scolded, thus demonstrating negative reinforcement.
C) positive punishment
Positive punishment involves adding an unpleasant consequence to decrease a behavior. In this scenario, the scolding is not intended to decrease homework completion; instead, it serves as a prompt for the child to improve her behavior. Hence, this option is not applicable.
D) observational learning
Observational learning occurs when an individual learns by observing the behavior of others. There is no evidence in the scenario that the child learned to do her homework by observing someone else; thus, this option does not apply.
E) classical conditioning
Classical conditioning involves learning through association, typically between a neutral stimulus and an unconditioned stimulus. The situation described does not involve such a conditioning process but rather a behavioral response to an external stimulus, making this option incorrect.
Conclusion
Negative reinforcement is definitively the correct choice as it accurately describes how the child alters her behavior to avoid the unpleasant experience of being scolded. All other options fail to explain the behavioral change effectively, as they either misinterpret the reinforcement process or do not apply to the scenario presented.