While walking through the mall, a young boy sees a new pair of shoes and immediately tells his grandmother that he would like to have them. The grandma initially refuses, prompting the boy to get upset and he starts to cry. The grandma hates to see her grandson get upset, so she changes her mind and buys him the shoes. In this example, we could say that the grandma's initial refusal was _____________ and the boy's mini-tantrum was ____________.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The grandma's initial refusal acted as a form of aversive punishment for the boy's request, aiming to decrease the behavior of asking for things impulsively. However, when the boy cried and the grandma bought the shoes, his crying behavior was positively reinforced because it led to a desirable outcome (getting the shoes).

While Walking Through the Mall, a Young Boy Sees a New