An employee does not respond to the sarcastic comments of a coworker but compliments him for constructive comments. Which of the following statements is true of this scenario?
A) The colleague is using extinction and negative reinforcement.
B) The colleague is using positive and negative consequences.
C) The colleague is using only positive consequences.
D) The colleague is using extinction and positive reinforcement.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The employee ignoring the sarcastic comments of the coworker is an example of extinction, where the behavior of the coworker is not reinforced by a response. On the other hand, the employee giving compliments to the coworker for constructive comments is an example of positive reinforcement, where the behavior of the coworker is reinforced by a positive response. Therefore, the colleague is using both extinction and positive reinforcement.

An Employee Does Not Respond to the Sarcastic Comments of a Coworker