Ian's mother tells him to stop watching TV and do his homework. Ian then begins to whine about wanting to watch more TV to the point that his mother gives in and lets him watch more TV as long as he stops whining. Consequently, Ian's whining behavior increases in frequency. This sequence is best described as

Question

Ian's mother tells him to stop watching TV and do his homework. Ian then begins to whine about wanting to watch more TV to the point that his mother gives in and lets him watch more TV as long as he stops whining. Consequently, Ian's whining behavior increases in frequency. This sequence is best described as ​

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

This sequence is an example of a negative reinforcement trap, where Ian's whining behavior is reinforced by the removal of the aversive consequence of not being able to watch TV. Ian learned that by whining, he could get what he wanted (more TV) and thus continued the behavior.

Ian's Mother Tells Him to Stop Watching TV and Do